The annual Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open took place at the Torrey Pines South and North Golf Courses from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1. 

The venue, located in La Jolla, Calif., features two, 18-hole courses consisting of a more challenging South course and a scenic North course. The courses were used for the first two rounds, but the final round was played on the 7,800-yard South course, which also hosted the 2008 and 2021 U.S. Open Championships. 

English golfer Justin Rose took first place, finishing with a 23-under par, breaking a tournament record set by Tiger Woods in 1999. Rose is now the oldest winner at 45 years old to keep the lead from the first to the final round on the PGA Tour since 2010. The runner–ups, who all tied for second with a 16-under par, were Pierceson Coody, Si Woo Kim and Ryo Hisatsune.

At the school, student-athletes and teachers shared their thoughts on the game. 

Evan Liu (11)

Evan, a member of the school’s varsity boys golf team and verbally committed to play Division I golf for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, made it to the final stage of qualifying for the actual event.

“There was certainly some excitement within the community,” Evan said. “It’s an annual stop on tour and the tournament has great history. For me, there was a bit of extra excitement … Even though I came up short, I was interested to see how the players who made it through the qualifier would stack up against the seasoned pros, and possibly where I could have stood in comparison [if I] had qualified.” 

For Evan, the event was “nothing short of spectacular,” but the standout player was the champion Rose because he “absolutely dominated the event and [broke] the scoring record.” 

“Most 45-year-olds are sitting on the couch, watching the tournament, while Rose was busy breaking the tournament scoring record and winning wire-to-wire by seven strokes,” Evan said. 

Along with Rose, there were also other players who stood out to Evan. 

“Some … that may have gone under the radar were Sahith Theegala and Joel Dahmen,” Evan said. “Both tying for seventh, Theegala notched his second top 10 in as many events in 2026, showing signs he is poised for a bounce-back year after a top 10 free 2025. Dahmen, who played in the final grouping, lost full membership on tour after a forgettable 2025, and this top 10 will boost him in the right direction towards regaining his full PGA tour card.” 

Evan considers Torrey Pines Golf Course as one of the “most unique stops all year on tour;” it is both a tourist attraction and a course for the school’s boys golf team, where they captured the California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Open Division title in 2024 and 2025.

“The South course is one of the toughest tests in golf, and when you couple that with hosting multiple U.S. Opens and the views of the Pacific Ocean, it’s pretty hard to beat,” Evan said. “Additionally, Torrey Pines [Golf Course] is one of the few PGA tours and major venues that is open to the public, which means anybody can walk the same grounds as legends like Tiger Woods.” 

Kate Hu (11)

For Hu, a player of the varsity girls golf Cardinal team, there was a lot of excitement going into the game. 

“I thought it was really fun to watch [it] live,” Hu said. “It’s always so exciting and cool that it’s right here at Torrey Pines.” 

Like Evan, Rose was a standout player for Hu since “he played so well from the first to the final round.” 

“I didn’t have any specific predictions going into this tournament, but Rose really dominated the whole week and ended up winning by seven shots,” Hu said. 

Hu believes that hosting the tour locally “definitely brings a lot of junior golfers and families together, which is great for the community.” 

“It’s really special that this event was at Torrey Pines, especially since it’s so close and accessible to us,” Hu said. “Our Torrey Pines girls and boys golf teams also get to play there for CIF and anyone can book a tee time and play on [the] course as well.” 

Vera Liu (10) 

Vera, a player on the varsity girls golf Cardinal team, attended the tournament multiple times in the past years, but was unable to go this time. 

“When I went before, it was really fun since I went with a lot of friends and we always got so many autographs from the pros,” Vera said. “I always get so excited right before we go to watch the tournament.”

The course is one of the more exciting stops of the tournament because she has “played at Torrey many times and knows the course well.”

Even though she did not attend or watch the tournament this year, she followed its results. 

“I didn’t have any predictions going into the game since I was busy this year, but something unexpected that happened was that the champion shot the course record,” Vera said. “It is really hard to break the course record, and the fact that the champion broke the record and won the tournament is surprising. Usually, the winners just win, but to also break the record is not expected.”

With the course being along the coast, “it’s unique because it’s one of the most beautiful golf courses and the views of the oceans are amazing to watch.”

“I think this tournament does benefit the local community because it gives the community a chance to see the best players in the world and make connections and friends for the future to benefit,” Vera said. 

Aidan Kang (12) 

Kang, a player on the varsity boys golf team, was excited for the tournament, especially because it “is one of the biggest tournaments that people travel from all over the world to watch.”

“I think it’s so awesome that we have such a big tournament, filled with the best players in the world, just 10 minutes away,” Kang said. “Watching them play the same course I’ve played multiple times is a great learning experience for me.” 

The Torrey Pines Golf Course hosts tournaments like the U.S. Open, making it “historically … one of the most respected and famous golf courses in the world.”

“These large PGA tournaments bring tourism and an opportunity for the San Diego Golf Community to come together and connect,” Kang said. 

Rose’s victory came as a surprise to Kang. 

“He’s double the age of some of the players, being 45, and to play the way he did was crazy,” Kang said. “I definitely didn’t expect it.” 

Emma Lee (11) 

While Torrey Pines is not the home course for the school’s girls golf team, it is a common practice location. For Lee, a player on the school’s junior varsity girls golf team, it was still “exciting to watch professional athletes play the same holes [they] do,” and to see the players “recover from tough situations like deep rough and bunkers.”

“It was interesting to see a PGA tournament at a course I practice and play on,” Lee said. “With other PGA courses, I know they’re difficult, but I can’t really compare my own game to them. At Torrey Pines, I know how I score and which holes I struggle with because I’ve played it.” 

Lee expected the professionals “to score lower.” 

“I underestimated how much more difficult Torrey Pines makes the course for the tournament,” Lee said. “The wind and rough made the outcome more unpredictable.” 

For Lee, Torrey Pines is a “special PGA venue” because of its ocean views, cliffs and layout.

“Hosting the PGA tournament benefits the local community by bringing attention and money to the area,” Lee said. “It also inspires younger golfers, and many of my friends were able to attend and watch the tournament in real time. I also like that it provides younger athletes with opportunities to practice on a world-class course at accessible prices.” 

Junior Villegas 

Villegas teaches Spanish 2 and 3, but has played golf for around 25 years and attended the tournament twice in the past. 

“As a matter of fact, I had a friend of mine invite me to go on Saturday, so I was looking forward to going, but it was my nephew’s birthday, so unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend,” Villegas said. “I was kind of bummed, because I was looking forward to going.”

Villegas still watched clips of the tournament. 

“I root for the local golfer, which is [Xander] Schauffele,” Villegas said. “I was happy to see Brooks [Koepka] come back and play in the PGA tour now … But other than that, I just root for the local golfers, especially if they’re former Torrey Pines students. It’s always nice to see former Torrey Pines players, if not students, participate in those tournaments.”

According to Villegas, the weather over the weekend was “nice.”

“I know previous years where it’s been a little bit foggy and they’ve had delays,” Villegas said. “This year, there were no delays, and the weather was beautiful.”

Villegas played the course before and claimed that “the location is phenomenal.” 

“Both the North and the South [courts] are beautiful,” Villegas said. “But the South, especially with it being along the water. I think some of the holes are breathtaking, and it’s just an amazing course. It’s always been well kept, of course, because they play major tournaments [such as] the U.S. Open.”

Along with the tournament’s convenience and excitement for San Diego residents, Villegas believed that hosting “such an important event” locally “definitely helps revenue for hotels, restaurants and bars.”

“I’m sure [the city] does very well, just like when the races are here, Del Mar benefits from that, as well as the fair,” Villegas said.