Farmers Insurance Open returns to La Jolla this month, bringing golf and entertainment for all to the fore

With something for every guest — from hardcore golf fans to others simply looking for entertainment — the Farmers Insurance Open pro tournament is headed back to Torrey Pines Golf Course as La Jolla’s premier annual golf event.

The PGA Tour stop will run Wednesday, Jan. 25, through Saturday, Jan. 28.

The tournament, organized by the nonprofit Century Club of San Diego, originated as the San Diego Open in 1952. It has been sponsored by Farmers Insurance since 2010.

The first two days (Rounds 1 and 2) are full-field days, when fans are guaranteed to see the entire roster of players compete before the cut.

Rounds 3 and 4 on Jan. 27-28 will be aired on prime-time TV on the East Coast, with golf being played until nearly sunset in La Jolla.

The Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule repeats the one started last year to avoid competing head to head with the National Football League’s conference championship games on Sunday after the NFL extended its season by a week.

Marty Gorsich, chief executive of The Century Club, said he received “really strong feedback” to stick with the Wednesday start. “Corporate and general clientele really loved the idea of trading in Sunday,” he said.

He added that players also enjoy the new format “because when the tournament ends, they actually get an extra day to go home and be with family and such before they have to worry about their next event.”

This year, Farmers Insurance Open fans will see defending PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas, Jon Rham, who won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2021, former U.S. Open and Farmers Insurance Open champion Justin Rose and five-time PGA Tour winner Rickie Fowler.

Other golfers committed to the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open include Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama, Tony Finau, Max Homa and Will Zalatoris, who was runner-up to Luke List in a playoff in last year’s Farmers.

Luke List holds his Farmers Insurance Open championship trophy in 2022.

(Farmers Insurance Open)

“We always get a good field of players here,” Gorsich said. “Torrey Pines is known as one of the toughest golf courses out there. … Those golfers look forward to coming here.”

Michael Herrera, a standout on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour, has received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the Open. Herrera, who grew up in Moreno Valley in Riverside County, attended the Farmers Insurance Open as a fan and will get to fulfill a longtime dream of teeing it up at the event in his first PGA Tour start.

As it is every year, the Open is programmed to balance the new and the familiar to draw both golf aficionados and those who aren’t so much.

This year’s event will provide many of the same food and beverage choices, Gorsich said, including options from catering company Behind the Scenes, lounges by Tito’s vodka and Dobel tequila, and new offerings from Dang Brother Pizza, Single Fin Poke Stand and Bushmills whiskey.

The tournament strives to offer “things that are engaging for the fans and give them something to do beyond … golf — the ocean and the food and drinks,” he said.

This year, spectator tents will be more open, allowing people to view not only the golf but also the expansive ocean.

“It’s a big lifestyle event” for people to escape, have fun and be entertained, Gorsich said.

It’s “very San Diego-esque,” he added. “Let’s go look at the ocean and people-watch and hang out with friends or clients and have some good food and drink and laugh together.”

Gorsich said he expects a sold-out event and encourages fans to buy tickets early.

Grounds tickets are $80 per day for Jan. 25-26 and $90 per day for Jan. 27-28.

The newly upgraded Ultra Pass presented by Michelob Ultra includes access for fans 21 and older to the private Ultra Zone at the ninth tee, featuring all-inclusive beer, seltzer and non-alcoholic beverages, covered and outdoor tables, upgraded concessions and restrooms, and televisions showing live coverage. Tickets are $195 per day Jan. 25-26 and $240 per day Jan. 27-28.

Tickets for the Canyon Club, overlooking the eighth and 17th greens and featuring all-inclusive food and a full bar, covered open-air seating, upgraded restrooms and televisions, are $365 per day Jan. 25-26. Friday and Saturday tickets for the Canyon Club are sold out.

All tickets to the Farmers Insurance Open are digital. The event also offers several choices for parking at various price points, with shuttles and an Uber lounge with cars waiting.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit FarmersInsuranceOpen.com. ◆