The PGA Tour currently stands at a massive crossroads with a major schedule change looming for 2027. The schedule could be cut down to 20 high-value events, and the Farmers Insurance Open could get wiped out. Xander Schauffele isn’t too happy about it, for personal reasons.

“I am biased obviously, born and raised in San Diego, and was running around here when I was a teenager in high school. I think I would feel like Torrey’s safe if you kind of look at the schedule, and find a home, just because this property’s iconic. It’s a beautiful and big property. It’s a tough golf course, and it usually has pretty good winners on it,” Xander Schauffele told the media.

“I think Tiger single-handedly has made this property incredibly special in terms of a history in golf, just tying back to the ’08 U.S. Open. You look at pretty golf courses that we have on Tour, I’d say Torrey’s one of them. I wouldn’t be shocked if it was somewhere on the schedule. I couldn’t answer when or who would want to be a sponsor or something of that nature, but I think it’s a strong enough course and a big enough course, a championship course to be on the schedule still.”

The 2026 Farmers Insurance Open already feels like the end of an era for the San Diego community, as Farmers Insurance will finish its 17-year run as the title sponsor right after the upcoming edition of the event. With no lead sponsor and a shrinking schedule, it is only fair to wonder if Torrey Pines will simply disappear from the PGA Tour calendar.

But as Schauffele noted, the survival of Torrey Pines is inextricably linked to the shadow of Tiger Woods. Woods has won a record-tying eight professional titles at this venue, a number that surpasses the entire career win counts of many stars. For Woods’ first six wins at Torrey Pines, the PGA Tour event was known as the Buick Invitational.

Woods’ dominance at this course began even earlier, with a victory at the 1991 Junior World Golf Championships. And the most defining moment came at the 2008 U.S. Open, when playing on what was later revealed to be a double stress fracture in his left leg and a torn ACL, Woods forced an 18-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate by sinking a legendary 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole. He ultimately secured his 14th major title after a sudden-death 91st hole. 

And beyond the 2008 major, Woods’ streak of four consecutive wins at the Buick Invitational (the predecessor to the Farmers Insurance Open) from 2005 to 2008 set a record for the longest win streak at a single course since 1945.

And it’s not just Woods who has shone at the Torrey Pines. Other modern legends have also carved their names on the South Course. The Spaniard, Jon Rahm, secured his first win and a U.S. Open title with a thrilling birdie-birdie finish. The tournament also got some of the most high-profile winners in the game. Jason Day (twice), Justin Rose, Bubba Watson, and Patrick Reed.

The five-time major champion Brooks Koepka chose Torrey Pines for his high-profile 2026 return to the PGA Tour.

So the irony is the man who made Torrey Pines special is now the one who could oversee its removal. Tiger Woods chairs the newly formed Future Competition Committee (FCC), which has been handed a ‘blank slate’ to redesign the tour’s competitive model for 2027. Logically, Torrey passes many tests, such as TV recognition, championship difficulty, and player interest. It gives Woods reason to preserve its place. But the future remains uncertain as Tiger has to honor the legacy of the fields while designing scarcity to increase event value.

Top Stories

Billy Horschel’s Warm Gesture Toward Brooks Koepka Melts Fans’ Hearts

Multiple PGA Tour Pros Withdraw From Farmers Insurance Open Days Before It Begins

DP World Tour Pro Punished for Failing Doping Test With Lengthy Suspension Verdict

‘I Am Banned’: LIV Golf Veteran Shares Honest Feelings on Senior Tour Limits Restrictions

‘Unreal’: Amanda Balionis Left Stunned by Scottie Scheffler at The American Express

So, what’s next for the San Diego event?

It’s not just the Farmers Open whose future hangs in the balance. The San Diego event is just one of five on tour whose sponsorships run out after the 2026 season. The others are Sony at Waialae in Hawaii. Genesis at Riviera in Los Angeles. Schwab at Colonial in Fort Worth. And Wyndham at Sedgefield in Greensboro, N.C.

And in each case, no re-signings or new sponsors have been announced for those events yet. Any further talks seem unlikely until the PGA Tour’s Future Competition Committee (FCC) makes its recommendations and announces any development.

The Tournament CEO, Marty Gorsich, however, remains highly optimistic about finding a brand new partner for the San Diego stop. He argues that taking Torrey out of the rotation should not be an option. Gorsich said that he has one of the tour’s most marketable events. He also added that tour sources indicate strong interest from potential sponsors who want to align with this premium location.

“In our sport, the place you play means something,” Gorsich said. “Blindfold me, put me in front of the TV, and take the blindfold off—there are a lot of courses it would take me a while to figure out. Torrey Pines is not one of those. Those watching know the history here, they know what Tiger or Jon Rahm did on certain holes. It’s a special place and people will watch that.”

Torrey Pines stands at an emotional and economic crossroads, and Schauffele’s hometown plea matters. And the upcoming TV numbers of the event tell a useful story whether the Tour plans to stick with the event and its legacy in the future or remove it from the schedule to plan a more business-friendly model.