SAN DIEGO – It’s not easy leaving this seaside paradise overlooking the Pacific.
But despite perfect scoring conditions for two days – light winds, sunlit skies and the ground a tad on the soft side – some of the PGA Tour’s biggest names said adios to Torrey Pines and its top-notch lodging and golf courses on Thursday.
With the cut coming in at 3 under, that meant the likes of hometown favorite Phil Mickelson, four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, three-time major champion Jordan Spieth and master blaster Bryson DeChambeau missing the cut.
The much tougher South Course got the better of those who won’t play the final two rounds. The South played nearly 4.5 strokes harder than the North Course.
Here are the notables who are headed home.
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Phil Mickelson (76-71)
After missing the cut badly in last week’s birdie festival at the American Express, Mickelson didn’t display much firepower despite uncorking a few bombs. He made six bogeys on the South Course in his first-round 76. Despite a strong effort in the second round on the North – he was 3 under his first nine holes – the reigning PGA champion missed his fifth cut in his last 12 starts on the PGA Tour.
Phil Mickelson acknowledges the crowd after a putt on the fourth green during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports)
Brooks Koepka (70-74)
At least the world No. 17 leaves Torrey Pines with a new do.
But after Koepka dyed his hair blonde and shaved the sides and the back down Tuesday night before the first round, he couldn’t get anything going in his 36 holes of play in his second start of the year; he tied for 28th in the year-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions.
His rounds of 70 on the North Course and 74 on the South sent him packing. Koepka was done in by three bogeys in a four-hole stretch on the front nine of the South in Thursday’s second round.
New-look @BKoepka. 👱♂️ pic.twitter.com/k5hbUPj2QF
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 26, 2022
Bryson DeChambeau (70-72)
The world No. 9 was bothered by a sore left wrist; he withdrew from the Sony Open in Hawaii earlier this year with a left wrist injury. After a pedestrian 70 in the opening round Wednesday on the North Course, DeChambeau moved to 3 under through 10 holes Thursday on the South Course. But three bogeys in a five-hole stretch sent him below the cutline and despite two birdies on his final two holes, he missed by one shot.
Bryson DeChambeau watches his shot from the ninth tee during the first round of the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports)
Rickie Fowler (66-76)
The struggles continued for Fowler, who has not won since the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open and has just four top-10s in his last 44 starts on the PGA Tour. Things looked bright after Fowler opened with a 66 on the North Course, and he moved to 7 under with a birdie on the second hole on the South Course in the second round. But he made two double bogeys and three bogeys the rest of the way en route to a 76 in Thursday’s second round.
Rickie Fowler plays his shot from the ninth tee during the first round of the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports)
Tony Finau (67-77)
The world No. 16 was in good shape after a 67 in the first round on the North Course. But he made three bogeys in his first eight holes on the South in the second round and then finished with three bogeys in his last seven holes.
Tony Finau hits his tee shot on the fifth hole during the second round of the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California. (Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Jordan Spieth (70-78)
The three-time major winner made five bogeys and a double bogey in his round of 78 on the South Course Thursday. Coupled with his 70 on the North in the opening round, he finished 4 over. Spieth had made 20 consecutive cuts — the longest active streak on the PGA Tour. Now Spieth heads to one of his favorite places in the golf world – Pebble Beach – for next week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Jordan Spieth lines up his putt on the third hole during the second round of the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California. (Photo: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
