The Farmers Insurance Open, now known as the Farmers Insurance Open, is one of the greatest early-season tournaments on the PGA Tour.
The tournament, held at famed Torrey Pines in suburban San Diego, typically attracts many of the world’s best golfers, and that will certainly be the case again in 2023, with world No. 3 Jon Rahm leading a field that includes five of the top ten and ten of the top 25 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Given the calibre of the competition, numerous renowned players are likely to be at or near the top of the scoreboard throughout the event.
Those checking in to watch the action at Torrey Pines, however, should keep in mind that this tournament is not like most other PGA Tour tournaments, since it spans from Wednesday through Saturday rather from Thursday to Sunday.
But why is this so? The solution is straightforward: the NFL.
Why is the Farmers Insurance Open played from Wednesday to Saturday?
For decades, the Farmers Insurance Open, unlike some other early-season PGA Tour tournaments, avoided having to compete with the NFL since it took held on the week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.
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However, when the NFL expanded to a 17-game regular season in 2022, everything was shifted back a week, meaning the two conference championship games would clash with the final round at Torrey Pines.
The largest concern was television, as the Farmers Insurance Open is CBS’s first golf telecast of the season, along with the AFC Championship Game.
To prevent any clash with one of its main television partners, the PGA Tour chose to start the tournament on Wednesday and complete it on Saturday. As a result, the tournament’s final round will take place on Saturday rather than Sunday.
If you’re wondering whether Jim Nantz will be on the call, don’t be. The iconic broadcaster will call the action at Torrey Pines remotely from Kansas City, where the Chiefs and Bengals will meet in the AFC title game this year.
