Fantasy Insider: More rankings for the Farmers Insurance Open

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Veteran Yahoo! gamers already know to focus on Torrey Pines North for the first two rounds. Scoring is historically significantly lower than at the South Course, and you must take advantage of it. And because of that, all golfers included in this preview are tagged with the round they're playing the North. (Don't sweat an afternoon tee time at the North versus a morning threesome at the South. Stick with the North in all cases.)

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FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN

Round 1 Tee Times
Inside the Field
Inside the Course
Power Rankings

Now, while that strategy still figures to benefit those that play to it, keep an eye on how the changes on the North affect scoring averages. (See the bottom of the page for last year's splits.) Torrey North has five new, longer tees that can extend the course to a record 7,062 yards. (It was listed at 6,986 yards in 2010.) Moreover, while I cited the importance of finding fairways in Monday's Power Rankings, San Diego's deputy director of golf course operations, Paul Cushing, believes that hitting from the short grass will be more important than ever.

"I think the rough over there is going to be the great equalizer," Cushing told the The San Diego Union-Tribune. "I don't know if we've had the rough at the consistency over there that we have it right now. With the longer rough and the new tee boxes, conditions are going to be really great over there. The rough actually is as thick and consistent on both courses as it's been in a long time."

Power Rankings Plus

11. Kevin Na ... Brutal history at the event, but has started 2011 with nine consecutive rounds in the 60s. In his 162 holes, he's suffered just 14 bogeys. Throughout 2010, he exhibited the consistency to put four rounds together, and he's been one of the TOUR's best scramblers and putters for years. It's all trending towards something special.

12. Anthony Kim ... First appearance since 2008. I'm buying into his latest renewed approach, but he also grinded out a T13 at the Sony Open that included a bogey-free 64 in the second round and just three bogeys over his last 56 holes. Drew Tiger Woods for the first two rounds, too, which will add to the motivation.

13. Lucas Glover ... First start of 2011, and it's the first time he's starting his season at Torrey Pines since 2005. Three top 10s at this event, including in his last two starts. The numbers don't necessarily support him more than others, so it has to be a feel or a look that allows for a comfort level.

14. Dustin Johnson ... First start since withdrawing from the Sony Open to address a personal issue at home. Still young enough to ignore his lackluster results in three previous appearances here. Until he slumps, you must keep him on your short list week in and week out.

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15. Phil Mickelson ... If the absence of a single email arguing that he should have cracked my Power Rankings is any indication, your confidence level is parallel with mine. His position here is based solely on his history at the event.

Power Rankings Distribution for Yahoo! (rank; round on Torrey North)

Group A ... Nick Watney (2; first); Tiger Woods (5; first); Martin Laird (10; second); Lucas Glover (13; second); Dustin Johnson (14; second); Phil Mickelson (15; second)

Group B ... Bill Haas (1; first); Ben Crane (3; second); Rickie Fowler (4; first); Justin Rose (6; second); Ryuji Imada (8; first); Robert Allenby (9; second); Kevin Na (11; first)

Group C ... Charles Howell III (7; first); Anthony Kim (12; first)

Dark Horse (Yahoo! Group; round on Torrey North)

Chris Kirk (B; first) ... If he wasn't a rookie, he'd be in the Power Rankings Plus. Would like him to shelve a little experience before investing completely. However, his all-around game and distance off the tee offers a tasty tease. Coming off a tie for seventh at the Hope, too.

Matt Jones (B; second) ... One of my breakout candidates of 2011 finished fifth at the 2009 edition of this event (with two eagles and 19 birdies, leading the field in both totals). Moreover, he's coming off a year during which he ranked 48th in scrambling and 26th in putting. He has enough distance to contend as well. Closed out last week's T29 at the Hope with a 68 that included eight birdies.

Chris Couch (C; second) ... Really impressive T7 at the Hope, where he ranked fourth in putting and had just seven bogeys. It was his first start since the Fall Series during which he made just one appearance. He's not the most reliable short-term own, but if he's still a free agent in your format, scoop him up.

J.B. Holmes (C; second) ... After finishing 31st on the money list last year, he's not yet exempt into any of the majors this year, so his quest begins this week. The primary focus on his development in 2010 was with the putter, but it helped enhance his value around the greens as well; he was 22nd in scrambling. In five starts here, he has three top 30s.

Andres Romero (B; first) ... Consider this a belated piece of advice to grab him if he's still available in your long-term format. Obviously, we never know which guy is going to show in any given week, but he's reportedly established a residence in the U.S., which allows for all sorts of positive spins.

Danger (Yahoo! Group; round on Torrey North)

Jhonattan Vegas (C; first) ... There are always two schools of thought after a rookie breaks through, but I rarely remain on board for another week. His numbers were incredible en route to the playoff victory at the Bob Hope Classic, where he showed us that he's an escape artist, but you have to expect a letdown this week.

Hunter Mahan (B; second) ... While he's not entirely worth ignoring at this time of year, he does the bulk of his damage in the warmest months. He's cashed in his last four starts here, including a T11 in 2009, but you can afford to bypass him this week. (He'll be defending next week in Scottsdale.)

David Duval (C; second) ... A T25 at the Hope might have some considering an uptick this week, but he ranked second-to-last in fairways and T66 in greens at the event. Since returning to TOUR full-time in 2008, he hasn't cracked the top 180 in scrambling. And his lone top-40 payday at the Farmers occurred 14 years ago.

Alex Cejka (C; second) ... Nifty T13 at the Bob Hope Classic, but has a terrible record here, with no top 35s in seven appearances.

Charley Hoffman (A; first) ... Likely frustrating his fantasy owners that expected him to start the year like he wrapped up 2010. It hasn't happened, and you need to continue to sit on your hands despite the fact that he's a San Diego native.

Medic!

No known relevant issues this week, although Bart Bryant remains out indefinitely. Last July, he had targeted "January or February" to return from surgery on his left wrist. He hasn't competed since the 2009 John Deere Classic.

Notable WDs (Yahoo! Group)

Geoff Ogilvy (A) ... Withdrew prior to the commitment deadline. Giving his finger one more week to heal. Hoping to return at next week's Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Ricky Barnes (A) ... Popped up in the official field at the deadline, but tweeted his intention not to play again until next week's Waste Management Phoenix Open. A bulging disc forced him to withdrew early from the Sony Open and this week's Farmers. Pulled out of the Hope after 45 holes.

Steve Elkington (B) ... With his history of ailments, he's been known to withdraw after commitment deadlines. Meanwhile, for racking up 24 birdies at the Bob Hope Classic, he will be donating $24,000 to assist the flood victims in Australia.

Jeff Klauk (C) ... Off to a 1-for-2 start since returning from a back injury and minor surgery on his left ankle. Now has 14 events remaining on his Major Medical Extension, so he may be a little more choosy than usual with his schedule.

Rob Bolton is PGATOUR.COM's fantasy columnist. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the PGA TOUR. To contact Rob, please e-mail him at FantasyInsider@charter.net.