The Farmers Insurance Open is starting up on Thursday with the first round coverage coming from the NBC live extra and the Golf Channel on Thursday for the first round from Torrey Pines in San Diego and the PGA Tour will start heating up with Tiger Woods in action.
Woods comes in after winning this tournament last year and winning at the course for the eighth time in his career, one off a new record and players like Phil Mickelson and others will be looking to get started on a good note. Woods comes in back at number one in the world again and tee times start up at 12 pm noon and the Woods group goes at 1:40 pm and so does Ben Curtis and Jimmy Walker and the early goings get started at noon.
Check here for the Farmers Insurance Open live coverage.
Here is more on the first tournament for Tiger Woods and more on the PGA Tour schedule from Reuters.com. Woods could not wish for a better place to launch his 2014 PGA Tour campaign than at the Torrey Pines Golf Club for this week's Farmers Insurance Open outside San Diego where he will be hunting a record eighth victory.
Not only was the picturesque venue perched above the Pacific Ocean the scene of his remarkable playoff win at the 2008 U.S. Open but the firm, fast and difficult conditions this week mirror those of six years ago. Asked whether he liked the challenging, sun-baked conditions at Torrey Pines, the world number one smiled broadly. Woods, who won last year's Farmers Insurance Open by four shots in a fog-delayed Monday finish, has always relished competing at Torrey Pines.
"I feel comfortable here, there is no doubt," said the 14-times major champion, who will launch his title defense on the South course, one of two layouts co-hosting this week's event.
"It's fantastic to be able to have had the success that I've had on this golf course, and not just playing here in the Tour event but also putting a stamp on it with a U.S. Open win.
"That was a very special week, especially considering the circumstances, the things that I had to kind of go through to get to that point."
Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open in a playoff with fellow American Rocco Mediate, sealing victory at the 91st hole despite having suffered a double stress fracture in his left shinbone two weeks.
He has not landed another major title since then but, at the age of 38, believes he has enough time to pile up the additional five he needs to overhaul the record total set by Jack Nicklaus.
"All I know is that I'm still in I feel my peak years, I'm still playing well," he said.
"There have been a number of guys who have gone on even in their early 40s to win major championships.
"Mark (O'Meara in 1998) did it, he's the oldest one to do it, to win multiples in the same year. Jack won in his 40s, (Ben) Hogan won multiples in his 40s, actually 38 and above.
"I feel like I've got a number of years ahead of me and I'm really looking forward to that."
This week, Woods will attempt to win his 80th PGA Tour title with only Sam Snead (82) ahead of him in the all-time standings.
However, he faces a strong field that includes three-times champion Phil Mickelson, Australian world number 10 Jason Day, England's Ian Poulter and Americans Brandt Snedeker and Jordan Spieth, the 2013 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
Also playing is England's former world number one Lee Westwood, who is back at the event for the first time since 2004 but finished third in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
"I forgot how beautiful a spot it was and my memory didn't do it justice," said Westwood. "I'm looking forward to this week. It's a good golf course for me this week."
(Reuters)
