Farmers Insurance Open Power Rankings: Top ten at Torrey Pines
Jon Rahm finds himself in the fortuitous position of being both defending tournament champion and the latest winner on the PGA Tour after outlasting Andrew Landry in a four-hole playoff at the CareerBuilder Challenge.
The 23-year-old Spaniard has quietly climbed to No. 2 in the world, but those who have watched him dominate early on in his PGA Tour career know he’s the real deal. It will be interesting to see if he can keep the pedal down after a hard-earned win to take on a tougher field and set of courses this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Last year was his first trip to La Jolla, but it only took him one round to figure things out. After a 72 on Thursday, Rahm played the final 54 holes in 13-under-par and sunk a thrilling eagle on the par-5 18th to seal the deal.
At a place that rewards distance and ability to play in the wind, Rahm should feel right at home. He was 20th in driving distance (305.8) and seventh in birdie average with over four per round. Add in that he was second in strokes gained off-the-tee and there’s no reason to think that Rahm won’t have as many chances at birdie this week as any.