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Kevin Yu holds the lead, with Patrick Cantlay trailing by one after the initial round of the Farmers Insurance Open
Kevin Yu had an impressive start at the Farmers Insurance Open, shooting a bogey-free 8-under 64 on the North Course at Torrey Pines. This performance gave him a one-shot lead over Patrick Cantlay and Ryo Hisatsune after the opening round on Wednesday.
The North Course proved to be favorable for many players, offering slightly easier conditions compared to the South Course. Players have the opportunity to play one round on each course before the cut, with the final two rounds scheduled to take place on the South Course.
Patrick Cantlay, currently ranked No. 6 in the world, had a strong round with just one bogey. He outperformed Xander Schauffele (No. 5) and defending champion Max Homa (No. 7), both of whom played the South Course. Schauffele posted a 3-under 69, while Homa had a 2-under 70 with all three bogeys occurring in the first seven holes.
The best score on the South Course came from Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark, who shot a 5-under 67. Hojgaard arrived from Dubai on Monday and had the chance to play only nine holes on the North Course on Tuesday.
Kevin Yu, a 25-year-old who played collegiate golf at Arizona State, is aiming for his first PGA Tour victory. He recently tied for third at The American Express, finishing two shots behind Kevin Dunlap, who became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour in 33 years.
The Farmers Insurance Open will conclude on Saturday to avoid conflicting with the NFL conference championship games.
“I came up short last week, bogeying the final hole on Sunday. Nevertheless, I’ve been consistently playing well and building momentum,” Yu expressed. “When I hit a good number of fairways, it provides ample opportunities to reach the greens and make some putts.”
Cantlay successfully navigated the soaked roughs, a result of the storm that hit parts of the city on Monday.
Cantlay, a native of Orange County and a former UCLA player, hasn’t participated in the Farmers since 2019. However, he did compete in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2021.
“Conditions are obviously different this week,” Cantlay remarked. “It’s going to be much wetter, and scores are expected to be significantly lower. The key is to play the golf course from the fairway, providing numerous birdie opportunities.”
Cantlay highlighted that the success of his round hinged on his performance on the three par 5s, despite a three-putt on No. 17 for par, which he described as a bit disappointing. His sole bogey occurred on the par-3 No. 3.
“I struck the ball very well, sticking to the fairway, which gave me plenty of chances for birdies today,” he stated. “The wet rough adds difficulty as the water impedes the ball’s movement. However, the rough is traditionally long here. Missing the fairway comes with a penalty, and today I played mostly from the fairway, and I hope to maintain that.”
Ryo Hisatsune, a 21-year-old from Japan also seeking his maiden PGA Tour victory, managed just one bogey.
Hideki Matsuyama, Shane Lowry, Thomas Detry, Aaron Rai, and Alejandro Tosti each posted a 66.
Nicolai Hojgaard, who tied for seventh in Dubai, recorded only one bogey on the par-4 fourth.
“I had a strong performance out there today,” Hojgaard commented. “I felt like I was executing well and creating good opportunities. While I wish I could have been a few shots better, shooting a 67 on the South Course is something you can’t complain about.”
