The South Course will test the world's best players in the most demanding test of golf. We were at Torrey Pines a few years ago and were marveled by its views of the Pacific Ocean.

It has been 13 years since Tiger Woods’ unforgettable victory at the U.S. Open played on the South Course at Torrey Pines. This week, the scenic San Diego course on the shores of the Pacific Ocean once again welcomes the best players in the world to a course that the PGA Tour visits every year for the Farmers Insurance Open.

Paragliding is a typical activity on the Pacific coast and is something that can be enjoyed at Torrey Pines.

The conditions are quite different from when the professionals play here at the end of January. For the regular Tour event (which is also played on the North Course), it is much colder and the course is much softer. For the U.S. Open, it is prepared with firmer and faster fairways and greens.

As the United States Golf Association (USGA) typically does for the U.S. Open, the rough will be high and the greens will be at a speed above the Tour average. This results in higher scores than at any standard PGA Tour tournament.

Just weeks after Phil Mickelson’s exceptional victory at Kiawah Island, "Lefty" has a great opportunity to further cement his name in golf history. Should he win, he would join the elite group that has completed the Career Grand Slam (Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen, and Ben Hogan).  

Of course, it won’t be easy, as several players are arriving in great form, including Jon Rahm. The Spaniard, world number two, is coming off a painful withdrawal at the Memorial Tournament after testing positive for Covid-19 while holding a six-stroke lead with one round to go.

The notable absentee will be Tiger, who continues his recovery following the car accident he suffered earlier this year. Woods has won eight times at Torrey Pines, including the 2008 U.S. Open where he played on a broken knee and defeated Rocco Mediate in a playoff. Torrey Pines has two golf courses, the South and the North. The South Course is the most renowned and where this week’s U.S. Open is held. They are public courses where any golfer can play and where the green fee is moderate.

The par-3 3rd is the iconic hole of the course, as seen in the image from our visit to Torrey Pines a few years ago.

While in recent years the U.S. Open has been played at some venues it had never visited before (e.g., Chambers Bay and Erin Hills), the USGA has a rotation of where the United States Open is held. This list, making up the “US Open Rota,” includes public courses like Torrey Pines and very private ones like Oakmont and Winged Foot.