Usually, the only way that the PGA TOUR visits the same course twice in one season is if that course hosts a major championship. However, after the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles closed Riviera Country Club temporarily and caused an estimated $250 billion worth of damage, The Genesis Invitational was moved from Riviera to Torrey Pines about two hours to the south, the host of the 2008 and 2021 U.S. Opens. Three weeks ago, Torrey Pines played host to the Farmers Insurance Open.
With a 72-man field for the third of the PGA TOUR’s limited-field Signature Events, there are fewer options for DFS players to choose from. Thankfully, users have recent history to consider, given that several of the players in this week’s event also played the same course at the Farmers.
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One of those players was Sam Stevens ($7,600), who has a pretty cheap salary on DraftKings for this weekend’s contest given that he hasn’t missed a cut in his last seven events and finished second at the Farmers, firing rounds of 69, 71, and 68 on Torrey Pines South Course, which will play host to all four rounds of The Genesis Invitational. This season, Stevens has been extremely well-rounded, posting above-average ranks in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, Strokes Gained: Around the Green, and Strokes Gained: Putting.
Torrey Pines South Course’s thick rough, proximity to the rugged Southern California Coast, and tiny greens are among its strongest defenses, and according to Data Golf, it ranks as a harder-than-average course both off the tee and on the greens. It has played as by far the most difficult course on the PGA TOUR circuit this season, yielding a scoring average of 1.685 over par and allowing just 823 scores of par or better. Overall, only 24 players out of the 156-man field finished under par at the Farmers Insurance Open, and so far this season, the two Torrey Pines courses are the only two that have played over par.
With his strong putting — his one-putt percentage is 41.94%, the 43rd-best on the PGA TOUR — Stevens is well-equipped to compete on Torrey Pines’ greens, which average just 4,500 square feet. He’s also a huge bomber, ranking 44th in driving distance, which can help, given that Torrey Pines is 7,804 yards long. If there’s one thing to be concerned about, it’s accuracy; he hits just 56.97% of his fairways, and Torrey Pines’ fairways are the fifth-hardest on the PGA TOUR to hit. However, he’s made up for that by posting above-average figures in proximity on short and mid-range approaches out of the rough. Also, while it’s a relatively easy chipping course, Stevens is third on the PGA TOUR in scrambling, which always helps.
