SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 29: A hailstorm hits the course during round two of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on January 29, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
The Farmers Insurance Open surprisingly got through the entire 2nd round on Friday. I say surprising because they were having a hail of a day out there.
Torrey Pines golf course got pounded with serious rain, hail and howling winds that caused some delays and much lower scores than Thursday’s opening round. The South Course had one of its highest scoring days in the history of the tournament.
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 29: Steve Stricker picks up his ball from the 17th hole green in a hailstorm during round two of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on January 29, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
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LA JOLLA, CA – JANUARY 29: Rickie Fowler peaks out from under his umbrella in the rain on the 5th hole on the South Course during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course on January 29, 2021. The tournament was played without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 29: A hailstorm hits the course during round two of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on January 29, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 29: Keith Mitchell huddles with his caddie as a hailstorm hits the course during round two of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on January 29, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
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LA JOLLA, CA – JANUARY 29: Viktor Hovland walks with gloves on his hands on the 9th hole on the South Course during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course on January 29, 2021. The tournament was played without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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LA JOLLA, CA – JANUARY 29: Adam Scott takes cover from the rain under his umbrella on the South Course during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course on January 29, 2021. The tournament was played without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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With seven-time winner Tiger Woods MIA at one of his favorite tournaments due to his fifth back surgery, Rory McIlroy and former Farmers winners Jon Rahm, Marc Leishman and Jason Day stood out from the field at Torrey Pines at the start of Round 1 at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday.
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However, Patrick Reed (pictured) birdied his first three holes and finished with a bogey-free 8-under 64 on Thursday for a share of the lead with Alex Noren after the Round 1.
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Phil Mickelson is playing his hometown event after missing the cut in The American Express last week. This is the 20-year anniversary of Mickelson winning the tournament in a playoff with a double bogey.
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Like just about everything else, coronavirus had an effect on this year's Farmers Insurance Open, with fans, family members and others banned from the course. Here, Xander Schauffele can be seen hitting from the rough on the 7th hole as fans look on from behind a fence.
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Defending champion Marc Leishman struggled through a 1-under 71 on the South Course, including a triple-bogey 7 on No. 4.
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Jon Rahm stands on the 4th hole green during round one of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines South on Jan. 28, 2021 in San Diego.
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Reed, Noren and Scottie Scheffler — who was one stroke back — all played Torrey Pines’ easier North Course and will play the South Course on what could be a wet Friday.
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Rory McIlroy shot a 68 on the South Course and was in a group of 11 at 4 under. He’s playing the Farmers for the third straight year and is hoping to file away some mental notes for the U.S. Open in June, which will be played at Torrey Pines for just the second time.
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Mickelson was clearly enjoying himself on Thursday.
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Xander Schauffele hits from the rough on the 7th hole during Round 1 of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines North on Jan. 28, 2021, in San Diego
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Golfers looked forward to a more mixed-bag of weather on Friday for Round 2. The Associated Press contributed to this gallery text.
2017 Farmers Insurance Open champ Jon Rahm found a way to turn in a nice round. He's 8-under par, tied with five other players for 2nd place. Among that group is Adam Scott, who looked like he was going to shoot a round in the mid-60’s before the conditions got rough. The Aussie still shot a 69 and offered a bit of perspective on what it was like when the gusts arrived.
Victor Hovland somehow figured out how to tame the course and the elements. He birdied his final hole for a 65 on the incredibly difficult South Course to get to 9-under for the tournament.
At the very end of the day the sky cleared up, so Phil Mickelson had a chance to stay alive. He needed two straight birdies to make the cut on the number at 1-under par when players were pulled off the course for safety reasons. When he went back out he dropped birdie putts on 17 and 18.
Lefty will play the weekend but has a lot of ground to make up on what's expected to be a much nicer Saturday and Sunday. Former Aztec Xander Schauffele also made the cut at -2.
