Hometown favorite Xander Schauffele, ranked No. 5 in the world, has committed for the Farmers Insurance Open, officials said Friday as they finalized the field for the tourney.
The Scripps Ranch native and San Diego State alum is a seven-time PGA Tour winner and two-time member of the U.S. Ryder Cup and U.S. Presidents Cup teams. He also captured the gold medal at the 2020 Olympics.
The tournament starts at Torrey Pines on Wednesday, and includes the tour’s only scheduled Saturday finish for the third straight year.
Justin Thomas, winner of the 2022 and 2017 PGA Championships, also committed this week, albeit to a less starry field than is typical for the Open.
Schaulffele, along with Patrick Cantlay and defending champ Max Homa – sixth and seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking – will lead the field, but the Open, like the rest of golf, continues to be roiled by the unresolved issues between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
Phil Mickelson, another San Diego native and early LIV backer, did not play in the Farmers Insurance Open last year and won’t be there next week, while a star who has been a stalwart at Torrey Pines, Jon Rahm, also will not appear.
Rahm, who won the Open in 2017, while placing second in 2020 in addition to two other top 5 finishes, was initially a critic of the upstart Saudi Arabian tour. But last month he shocked the sport by switching allegiances.
He is set to debut with LIV Golf Feb. 2 near Playa del Carmen as captain of a team in the league’s unique format, according to ESPN. NBC reported that along with Rahm and Mickelson, five of the last 14 major championship winners have joined the new tour.
“The landscape of golf is ever-changing right now, especially the last few years,” Golf.com reported that Rahm told a sports radio show in a rare recent interview. “And after seeing LIV Golf in action and seeing what they have to offer, and being part of a team is so nice — then it became a possibility.”
Which leaves the PGA Tour with fewer options and golfers with many questions.
“I mean, obviously, if it’s just Jon, that’s bad enough,” Justin Rose, who will be at the Farmers Insurance Open, told Sports Illustrated. “What does that mean now … if it’s Jon plus a trickle?”
Farmers Insurance Open grounds tickets and hospitality passes can be purchased online. Daily grounds tickets start at $80. Prices on all ticket types increase Sunday. Passes featuring perks such as all-inclusive concessions start at $190 per day.
