**UPDATE: On Jan. 29, Jason Day finished off a six-hole sudden-death playoff against Alex Noren to clench the $6.9 million win at the Farmers Insurance Open, his first PGA victory in almost two years.
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The first group of golfers teed off for this year’s Farmers Insurance Open on Jan. 25 at 9:40 a.m. The prestigious tournament, replete with a nearly $6.9 million purse, will continue through Jan. 29. Crowd favorite Tiger Woods had a later start, at 10:40 a.m. He will be making his first competitive start in the tournament, which will also be his first official start on the PGA since last year’s Farmers Insurance Open. Since missing the majority of the 2017 season due to a back injury, Woods has been marked as a favorite to make the 36-hole cut. In 2013, he won the tournament for his seventh time but has missed the 36-hole cut, 54-hole cut and withdrawn in his past three appearances at Torrey Pines. While Woods draws a large crowd wherever he walks at the South Course at Torrey Pines, defending champion John Rahm is looking for back-to-back wins, as well as securing the World No. 1 title. Experts have also thrown Justin Rose, Tony Finau, Brandt Snedeker and even Rickie Fowler as major finishers. This year’s Farmers Insurance open will see some local talent as well. When Chula Vista native Tyler Torano set up to tee off at 9:50 a.m., the crowd erupted. Torano is in good company, with the laundry list of golfers with ties to the coastal city making waves at Torrey this year. Among them are: Charley Hoffman, a Poway High School Alum and four-time PGA Tour champ, JJ Spaun, a SDSDU alum, Xander Schauffele, a Scripps Ranch High School and SDSU alum, Michael Kim and Jamie Lovemark, both Torrey Pines High graduates, and Norman Xiong, who played with San Diego-based organization Pro Kids/The First Tee. While it is highly unlikely that Woods will see another Farmers Insurance Open win, that has proved not to hinder golf aficionados from attempting to catch a glimpse of one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game. It is highly recommended, however, to also follow these young golfers that have strong ties to the city. They may just surprise you.