What We Learned From The Farmers
And a few notes before concluding rounds in Dubai and Boca
The PGA Tour’s rare Saturday finish worked out. Barely.
We learned from the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Bryce Miller that Farmers Insurance was initially not thrilled at the NFL-avoidance scheduling. But the sponsor came around thanks to a ratings-friendly late finish guarantee from CBS. Pushing the finish so close to the 5:18 p.m. sunset nearly backfired, only to be rescued by Luke List’s stellar third shot in the first hole of sudden death. Here’s one we’ll never forget on a hole that’s produced its share of doozies:
Some random player and course notes from the week even though we still have Sunday final rounds to play out in Dubai (Desert Classic) and Boca (Gainbridge LPGA):
Luke List. After a two-hour wait, a first hole playoff win allowed the 37-year-old to capture an inaugural PGA Tour victory in his 207th start. List now makes his home in Augusta, something noted by Jim Nantz who risked life and limb to point out a Masters invitation was coming before offering a FedExCup update. The audacity to put a fantastic storyline over FEC impressions! List has made one Masters appearance, a T33 in 2005 as an amateur. (Ryan Moore was low amateur that year en route to the best score by an amateur since 1978 and a T13 finish.)
Jon Rahm (T3) is still irritable. He earned a shoutout Sunday from Nick Faldo and Frank Nobilo for getting mad at the “smallest things”. This came a week after lamenting the easy setup in La Quinta. This week the top player in the world seemed to let the poa annua greens get to him. The same surfaces he conquered in last June’s U.S. Open, capped off by historic birdie putts on the last two holes. But in the third and fourth rounds of the 2022 Farmers, Rahm finished 39th and 37th in strokes gained putting, though he did sink an eerily similar birdie putt at the 17th Saturday. Either way, do no fret for Rahm. He’s started the year 66-66-61-66-66-70-67-71-66-65-72-71.