The Starter: Round 1, Farmers Insurance Open

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The first round of the Farmers Insurance Open is set to begin. The Golf Channel will televise live action beginning at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. local time).

Groups we're watching

Tee time Players   11:50 a.m. ET North, No. 10 Jhonattan Vegas, Charley Hoffman, Nick Watney After last week's victory, Vegas steps into the group playing ahead of Tiger. Watney won here in '09. 12 p.m. ET North, No. 10 Rocco Mediate, Anthony Kim, Tiger Woods Woods and Mediate return to the site of their 19-hole playoff duel in the 2008 U.S. Open. 12 p.m. ET South, No. 1 Ben Crane, Arjun Atwal, Robert Garrigus Crane returns to the site of one of his two 2010 victories. Garrigus has the length to make a splash at Torrey Pines. 1:10 p.m. ET North, No. 10 Charles Howell III, Rickie Fowler, Marc Leishman A trio of top-10 finishers last year and former Rookies of the Year. Fowler's rookie campaign was jump-started by a T5 Torrey Pines. 1:10 p.m. ET South, No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Phil Mickelson This is our featured group for the opening rounds and puts Mickelson with a pair of 2010 multiple winners.

MORE ROUND 1: Tee times | Expert Picks | Power Rankings | ShotLink ins, outs of Torrey Pines

STORYLINES FOR THURSDAY:
• Woods, Mediate together again for the first time since their duel in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
• Phil Mickelson makes his 2011 TOUR debut andthe debate continues about whether Phil or Tiger will be No. 1.
• PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said he is in favor of a look into the rules which have led to recent DQs.

Round 1 weather forecast

Windy Temp: 74 high/45 low Sunny with winds around 20 mph.

Player notes

Here are some of the players you'll see on the Golf Channel's coverage of Thursday's first round

JAMIE LOVEMARK The former USC Trojan and 2010 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year is back in Southern California and looking to get traction during his rookie campaign on the PGA TOUR. BUBBA WATSON Aside from his ridiculous driver off the deck approach to No. 18 at Kapalua, it's been a forgettable start to the season for Watson. His length will be an asset on the nearly 7,600-yard South Course at Torrey Pines, which is in play for three of the four rounds this week. CAMILO VILLEGAS A disqualification and a missed cut was not the idea Villegas had for his two events in Hawaii. The last time Villegas came to this event, however, he had missed a cut the previous week, opened with a 63 and went on to finish in a tie for third.