On the tee: Farmers Insurance Open

Vitals
Yardage: 7,568
Par: 72
Designed by: William Bell, 1957. Re-design, Rees Jones, 2001
Bunkers: 78
Water Hazards: 1
Green speeds: 12-feet on Stimpmeter
2010 Difficulty rank: 16 out of 52
Course record: 62, Tiger Woods (1999)
Defending Champion: Ben Crane, -13.



Key back-nine holes

12th hole, 504-yard par-four: A long par four that most often plays into the wind, the 12th play nearly a half stroke over par last year and has played as the second hardest hole on the course over the last quarter century. In 2010 there were only three more birdies (13) than there were double-bogeys or worse (10). Anyone walking off this green with a four, will feel like they actually made a three. Not a bad feeling with a par-five coming up next.

18th hole, 570-yard par-five: Of course the 18th is most known for Tiger Woods' epic birdie putt that put him into an 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate at the 2008 U.S. Open, but over the last 25 years it has allowed more than a few contenders to have one last quality birdie chance. It's played as the easiest hole in that stretch, playing to a stroke average of 4.653.

Foursome Picks

Charles Howell III, 30-1 -- Over the last seven years at this tournament, Howell III has finished no worse than T42 and has five top-10s including a pair of runner-up finishes. It's been nearly four years since he won on Tour, so he may be overdue for a victory.

Ryuji Imada, 50-1 -- Since 2006, Imada has six top-40 finishes at Torrey Pines, including a T18 at the 2008 U.S. Open. He also had a runner-up finish that year. He -- like Howell III -- has suffered through a bit of a drought after picking up his first PGA Tour win in 2008. Still, it seems likely that he'll find the winners circle again at some point, at least, before he's assessed another 26-stroke penalty.

Camilo Villegas, 50-1 --It hasn't exactly been the start to the year Camilo Villegas was likely hoping for with a DQ at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and trunk slamming missed cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii. A cynic may point to his equipment change -- from Cobra to Taylor Made -- but Graeme McDowell's 62 at the Hyundai should go a long way towards dismissing the equipment change curse. Villegas finished T3 here in 2009 and posted a pair of top-15s at Torrey Pines in 2008 -- including a T9 at the U.S. Open.

Robert Allenby, 50-1 -- If Stuart Appleby can be the comeback player of the year in 2010, then perhaps Robert Allenby can do the same in 2011. He has 22 career worldwide professional victories, but none since 2009 and only three in the last five years. He's played well at Torrey Pines though -- T9 in '09 and '07, T18 at '08 U.S. Open -- and could be a factor this week.

Longshot: Brandt Snedeker, 80-1 -- Over the last two months of his 2010 season, Snedeker was playing some pretty good golf. He missed the cut at the Barclays, but in five other tournaments -- including the PGA Championship -- he finished no worse than T39 and had two top-10s. He has good history at Torrey Pines with a T2 here last year to go with a third place finish in '07 and a T9 at the '08 U.S. Open.