Golf is back on the field this week with a double appointment of the highest level: the Farmers Insurance Open, in San Diego, California, a PGA Tour race in which Tiger Woods and Francesco Molinari participate, and the Desert Classic, in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates , European tour match, where Rory McIlroy plays. In short, a start to the season with a bang.
For Molinari it is the first tournament in 2018. For Tiger it is a return to the scene that a few months ago seemed unhoped for. The 41-year-old champion decided to try again after his appearance at the Hero World Challenge, a tournament he organized in early December, where he appeared to be on target and reasonably fit.
Determined to manage himself very carefully, Woods, who will later compete in the Genesis Open (February 15-18), has paid close attention to the choice of courses, focusing on two that are particularly congenial to him. The South Course of Torrey Pines, near San Diego, where he won the last of his 14 majors (US Open, 2008), and the Riviera CC, in Pacific Palisades, also in California, where he made his PGA Tour debut when he was 16 years old . The Farmers Insurance Open is the same event that Tiger restarted from last year, coming out of the cut, before finally stopping in Dubai, where he retired after a round with back pain, twice ending up under the knife. It's difficult to establish Francesco Molinari's form at the end of the winter break, after an excellent 2017.
In San Diego the field is of the highest level and includes heavyweights such as the Spanish Jon Rahm, who scored last week and is number two in the world rankings. Rahm is the reigning champion at Torrey Pines and his pace, just a few years after his debut on the international circuit, is truly astounding. The other notable names are Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, who plays at home, Patrick Reed, Keegan Bradley, the Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, the Australians Jason Day and Marc Leishman, the English Justin Rose and Luke Donald and the Irish Padraig Harrington.
The European Tour instead remains in the United Arab Emirates for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, at the Emirates GC in Dubai where Edoardo Molinari, Matteo Manasssero, Renato Paratore and Nino Bertasio will compete. The most appealing player is certainly Rory McIlroy, who fought for the title after three months off last week in Abu Dhabi. The reigning champion is Sergio Garcia, who will have to beware of Tommy Fleetwood, ever stronger and winner in Abu Dhabi, the Swede Henrik Stenson, the German Martin Kaymer, the English Tyrrell Hatton, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Ian Poulter and Danny Willett.
