PGA Tour pro makes Tiger Woods 'show up' claim ahead of Farmers Insurance Open

Charley Hoffman considers the community of San Diego and the PGA Tour "took it for granted that Tiger Woods virtually showed up every single year" at the Farmers Insurance Open. 

Hoffman, 48, made his feelings be known to reporters ahead of this week's tournament at famed Torrey Pines, which has taken something of a hit in terms of big-name withdrawals on the eve of Wednesday's start. 

World No.2 Xander Schauffele and World No.5 Collin Morikawa both removed their names from the field earlier this week.

Other PGA Tour stars such as Akshay Bhatia, Mackenzie Hughes, Harry Hall and Nicolai Hojgaard also decided to WD too. 

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There are only two players in the world's top 10 competing this week in pre-tournament favourites Ludvig Aberg (World No.6) and Hideki Matsuyama (World No.4). 

The Farmers Insurance Open was once one of the most coveted tournaments of the PGA Tour season.

But not any more or at least it seems. 

The big reason for that is that it's not one of the PGA Tour's eight Signature Events of the season. 

Farmers Insurance is even pulling the plug on its title sponsorship after this week's event, no doubt as a result. 

Woods, who is a year older than Hoffman, won the Farmers Insurance Open a record seven times between 1999 and 2013.

The 15-time major champion typically always put this event on his playing schedule. 

Torrey Pines was also the scene of Woods' memorable 2008 U.S. Open triumph where he defeated Rocco Mediate in a playoff with a broken leg. 

In the eyes of Hoffman, the community of San Diego and PGA Tour players for that matter all took it for granted that Woods would rock up here. 

Hoffman told reporters: 

"I think the community of San Diego took for granted that Tiger Woods virtually showed up every single year at this event, the best player in the world, and competed to win almost every time he played here. 

"We took it for granted. Now a lot of these tournaments, if you had Tiger Woods two or three times through the history of the event, they would be happy. We had Tiger Woods each and every year and we may have taken it for granted.

"We're in reality now with what every other city has to deal with without Tiger Woods or the best player in the world playing here."

As for the depleted star quality field this week, Hoffman thinks the schedule is to blame. 

Hoffman continued: 

"The field is fairly strong. Is it a bad date? I wouldn't say it's a bad date, it's just a tough date. If I had a crystal ball, I may juggle up the whole schedule, not even play a West Coast Swing on the west coast, maybe play Florida first and maybe play the west coast maybe more in the summer when we all want to be in San Diego. 

"If I was commissioner for a day, I would take a look at the schedule and just jumble it all up and say where should we start the PGA TOUR season, where is the best time to play these events and do we have to play the whole west coast on the west coast right after each other?"

Hoffman also touched on World No.2 Schauffele being a late WD from the tournament due to injury. 

"Unfortunately, Xander, one of the best players in the world, has injury. He's traditionally played here. Xander's trying to get ready to win more major championships, there's no reason to push it early in the year and hurt himself more. You're going to see guys taking this week off if it stays in this date, no question."

The Farmers Insurance Open starts on Wednesday and concludes on Saturday.

The first two rounds are staged over the South and North Courses, with the final two rounds played over the tougher South. 

Although this week's event in San Diego is not a Signature Event on the PGA Tour schedule, players are still competing for a total prize purse of $9.3m.

The champion of the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open earns a whopping $1.67m. 

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