Play was suspended Sunday at the Farmers Insurance Open due to inclement weather at Torrey Pines, and those who have seen the condition of the course understand why.
San Diego city golf manager Mark Marney said on Monday morning that approximately 20 trees fell on the North and South courses at Torrey Pines from Sunday into early Monday. At least two of the trees were prized Torrey pines that the course has become known for.
“It’s devastating,” Marney said Monday, according to Tod Leonard of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
PGA Tour meteorologist Stewart Williams said winds reached speeds of 60 mph along the coast overnight. The tournament was suspended Sunday afternoon and resumed Monday at 1 p.m local time. No spectators will be allowed on the course Monday.
Crews were working hard to clean up trees that had come down, the most notable of which is a 75-foot eucalyptus that fell right into the fairway on the 15th hole. That particular tree was very much a part of play, as it obstructed a shot to the green on the par-5 if a golfer hit his tee shot too far to the left.
Another tree fell near the parking lot and right onto a Bentley, which may have belonged to golfer Ryan Ruffels:
Welcome to Monday @FarmersInsOpen… Title sponsor might be busy this week pic.twitter.com/WBNB1Syqcy
— Ryan Ruffels (@RRuffels) February 1, 2016
If you want to get an idea of how vicious the weather conditions were, look no further than the 5-iron Billy Horschel hit just 134 yards with his hat on backwards.
How brutal is it at Torrey Pines right now?
Billy Horschel just hit a 5-iron 134 yards. #QuickHits https://t.co/No5LeLN14T
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 31, 2016
We haven’t seen wind that brutal since gusts were causing balls to roll all over the place (video here) at the British Open last year. Despite the wild weather, Brandt Snedeker somehow shot a 69 on Sunday and is tied for 2nd place at 6-under for the tournament.
Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
