Playing Through: Farmers Insurance Open Preview, Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions Preview, and Patrick Reed’s PGA TOUR Return
Welcome to Playing Through, your weekly guide to the world of professional golf. I’m Brendon Elliott, PGA Professional. Brooks Koepka returns to the PGA TOUR at Torrey Pines, the LPGA Tour kicks off its 2026 season in Orlando, and Patrick Reed announces his plan to return to TOUR competition. Let’s get into it.
PGA TOUR: FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN PREVIEW
The PGA TOUR heads to San Diego this week for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, and the storyline is impossible to ignore: Brooks Koepka is back.
The five-time major champion makes his first start in a non-major PGA TOUR event since the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, returning via the Returning Member Program. ESPN will air live coverage of the first two rounds from noon to 3 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday, the first time in nearly 20 years ESPN has offered live coverage of a TOUR event outside the majors.
“I’m definitely a little bit more nervous this week just coming back,” Koepka said Tuesday. “But it feels good. I’m super grateful to be back.”
Koepka will play alongside Max Homa and Ludvig Åberg for the first two rounds. The decision to return was driven by family considerations, with his wife, Jena, and son, Crew, joining him in San Diego.
The Course and the Field
Players rotate between Torrey Pines’ North Course (7,258 yards) and South Course (7,765 yards) for the first two rounds, with the weekend played exclusively on the South Course. At nearly 7,800 yards, the South Course features four par 5s, four par 3s (three playing over 200 yards), and demanding par 4s throughout. The greens are among the smallest on TOUR at roughly 5,000 square feet.
World No. 6 Xander Schauffele leads the field and makes his 2026 TOUR debut. The former San Diego State Aztec owns two top-10s in nine prior appearances, including a T2 in 2021.
Defending champion Harris English returns looking to become the first player to win back-to-back at this event since Tiger Woods won four consecutive from 2005-2008.
Other notables include J.J. Spaun (2025 U.S. Open champion), Justin Rose (2019 Farmers winner), Jason Day (two-time Farmers champion), and Hideki Matsuyama.
Åberg won The Genesis Invitational when it was relocated to Torrey Pines’ South Course last year. He withdrew from last week’s American Express due to illness, leaving his health status in question.
Aon Swing 5 Update
The Farmers Insurance Open is the third of four tournaments where players can earn FedExCup points toward the Aon Swing 5. The top five point earners, not otherwise exempt, will qualify for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational. Patrick Rodgers leads with 198.792 points, followed by Matt McCarty (189.250) and Andrew Putnam (183.750).
LPGA TOUR: HILTON GRAND VACATIONS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS PREVIEW
The LPGA Tour kicks off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando for the eighth edition of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
This is the first event for players to begin earning points toward the Race to the CME Globe standings. In 2025, Jeeno Thitikul earned the most points with 4,066.950 and won the Race to the CME Globe.
The Favorites
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul makes her tournament debut. The 2025 Rolex Player of the Year and Vare Trophy winner dominated last season with three wins, including the CME Group Tour Championship. She posted 14 top-10 finishes in 20 starts and broke Lorena Ochoa’s single-season earnings record with $6,059,309.
World No. 2 Nelly Korda makes her eighth start at this event. The two-time defending Rolex Player of the Year finished runner-up here last year and didn’t miss a cut in 2025. Korda posted nine top-10 finishes last season, including three runner-up results.
World No. 4 Miyu Yamashita makes her tournament debut after a sensational rookie season. The Japanese star won the AIG Women’s Open and was named the 2025 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year.
Defending Champion and Course Notes
A Lim Kim defends her title after winning at 20-under 268 last year. She led the field with 24 birdies and was the only player to record all four rounds in the 60s.
The tournament features 22 winners from 2025, including 10 first-timers making their tournament debuts. Austin Ernst makes her first start since the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship after returning from maternity leave.
Lake Nona’s par-72 layout features TifEagle Bermuda greens overseeded with Poa Trivialis, running at 11.5-12 feet on the Stimpmeter.
DP WORLD TOUR: BAPCO ENERGIES BAHRAIN CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
The DP World Tour continues its International Swing this week at the Royal Golf Club for the third edition of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.
Laurie Canter defends his title after winning a three-man playoff last year. The victory propelled him into the world’s top 50, earning exemptions into THE PLAYERS Championship and The Masters.
The Field
Race to Dubai leader Jayden Schaper headlines the field, chasing a third title already this season. Patrick Reed, fresh off his four-shot victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, also tees it up. Reed’s win moved him to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking and second in the Race to Dubai Rankings.
“The game feels really solid and we’re looking forward to getting right back at it,” Reed said. “To come out and play the way we did last week definitely allows me to have the confidence and hopefully jumpstart to having a really good year.”
The field also includes 2025 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Martin Couvra, three-time major winner Pádraig Harrington, and former Masters winner Sergio Garcia.
Seventeen-year-old Yanhan Zhou makes his first DP World Tour start outside of China after winning the China Tour’s Order of Merit last year.
The course record at Royal Golf Club is 61, set by Brandon Robinson Thompson during the first round last year. Should it be broken this week, the player will receive $70,000 through the Course Record Presented by Nexo initiative.
TGL: BOSTON COMMON REMAINS UNDEFEATED
Boston Common Golf dominated The Bay Golf Club 9-1 on Monday night at SoFi Center, improving to 2-0-0 and taking sole possession of first place in TGL Season 2.
Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley, and alternate Michael Thorbjornsen outscored The Bay 8-0 over the final 11 holes. Boston now holds the tiebreaker over fellow unbeaten Atlanta Drive with 15 holes won.
Thorbjornsen continued his impressive TGL debut, draining a 14-footer for birdie at the seventh to give Boston a 4-1 lead. McIlroy got the better of friend Shane Lowry in singles, picking up points at No. 10 and No. 13.
The Bay falls to 0-2-0 and faces a tough road to the postseason.
“You just hate losing, don’t you?” Lowry said. “It’s probably worse losing to one of your friends.”
TGL returns Monday, February 2, when defending champion Atlanta Drive GC takes on Jupiter Links Golf Club at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.
BREAKING: PATRICK REED ANNOUNCES PLAN TO RETURN TO PGA TOUR
Nine-time PGA TOUR winner Patrick Reed announced Tuesday his plan to return to TOUR competition later this year, with an eye on reinstating his membership for the 2027 season.
Reed last competed in an unauthorized event on August 24, 2025. Since he resigned his TOUR membership prior to violating any TOUR regulations, he will be eligible to return to TOUR competition on August 25, 2026, as a non-member, provided he complies with TOUR regulations and doesn’t participate in additional unauthorized events.
“I am excited to announce that I am returning to the PGA TOUR as a past champion member for the 2027 season and am eligible to begin competing in PGA TOUR events later this year,” Reed said in a statement. “I will continue to compete and play as an Honorary Lifetime Member on the DP World Tour, which is something that I am truly honored and excited to do.”
Reed would be eligible to participate in FedExCup Fall events as a non-member starting in late August and could accept sponsor exemptions or participate in open qualifying. He would then reinstate his membership for the 2027 season, playing out of the past champion category.
The 35-year-old plans to play this year on the DP World Tour, where he currently ranks second in the Race to Dubai Rankings after his victory Sunday at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Reed would be eligible to improve his 2027 TOUR status as one of the top 10 finishers on the DP World Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai Ranking.
Reed would be ineligible to participate in the Player Equity Program through 2030.
Reed’s most recent TOUR win came at the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open. His career accomplishments include winning the 2018 Masters and nine PGA TOUR titles.
Reed’s status this fall would make him eligible to potentially receive a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup in September.