Farmers Insurance Open 2023 Rankings, Results: Sam Ryder tries to stop Max Homa and Jon Rahm

How to secure the low round of the day? By following suit. That’s exactly what Sam Ryder did Thursday in Round 2 of the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open when he followed up his 8-under 64 on the north course with a 4-under 68 on the more difficult south course. Carding the best round among those who made Thursday’s trek, Ryder entered the latter stages of the tournament at 12-under with a three-stroke lead over his nearest competitor.

Oddly enough, that’s his playing partner for the first two days, Brendan Steele (-9). The two will play alongside each other again on Friday and hope the good spirits of the first few rounds will continue as the larger chasing pack includes some of the game’s biggest names.

Max Homa flaunted a load of his own with a 2-under-70 and sits six shots behind Ryder. The Los Angeles native, who was a winner in California earlier this season, will be looking to add his fourth title at The Golden State to his resume.

Two-time tournament winner Jason Day is just one spot down at 5 under, right next to California’s Collin Morikawa. The two-time Major champion led the field in shots won on Thursday and has his eyes on redemption after wasting a late lead on Jon Rahm in his most recent start at the Tournament of Champions.

And while Rahm may have faltered on Wednesday, he was in hyperdrive on Thursday. The world No. 3, who signed for the day’s low round at the North Course, signed for a 5-under 67 and catapulted himself back into the competition with 4-under.

the leader

1. Sam Ryder (-12): It’s new territory for Ryder, who holds the 36-hole lead for the first time in his PGA Tour career. While some might suggest disappointment over the final 36 holes, his second round on the South Course could tell a different story. Ryder is second in shots won from tee to green, second in shots won approach, and fifth in shots won putts. Ryder will be difficult to catch if he’s able to put on a similar performance on the track.

“I’m not really going to change my approach. It’s just one of those things that’s just beginning to happen. Like I didn’t go out on Thursday thinking I’m going to shoot 8 under today because the weather was good. It was just, I took a couple of good shots and the round started coming to me,” Ryder said. “Well, I’m just going to, you know, try all the cliché things, one shot at a time …I mean, playing late or later in the day on this golf course, it’s tough .Traffic on the greens and it’s not – it’s never easy out there.So I’m just going to try and take it in stride and see if I can keep myself in a good position and stay aggressive.

Other contenders

2. Brendan Steele (-9)
3.Tano Goya (-7)
T4. Max Homa, Taylor Montgomery, Brent Grant, Sahith Theegala, Vincent Norrman, Sam Stevens (-6)
T10. Jason Day, Collin Morikawa, Sam Stevens, Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak (-5)

I came out of the second round so impressed with the golf that Homa was playing. On a day with wind gusts up to 40mph, Homa never flinched and seemed to take the South Course by storm early on. He eventually slowed down with five birdies on his front nine, but he’s still in the middle of this tournament.

Implementing Aim Point on the greens continues to benefit as he finished 12th in Thursday’s putting. Extremely comfortable in all facets of his game, Homa’s rise continues in 2023 and could result in his second win of the season next Saturday.

Can five holes get Rahm to his third straight?

The world No. 3 was stuck idling for most of his second lap as the normally accessible North course proved more difficult due to the gusty conditions. Rahm spun on even par and started his back nine with four straight pars until he caught Lightning in a Bottle. The Spaniard, who played his last five holes in 5-under on Thursday, quickly moved from outside the cut line to solid competition with a round of 5-under 67. 4-under for the tournament, Rahm sits 14th and 8th draw beats out of pace.

“It wasn’t anything special. I knew that this is probably the part of the course that scores the most points on any given day. Holes 5-9, with or without wind, you can take advantage of the space,” said Rahm. “Luckily, I hit it really well. There is no difference between these holes or any other five, four holes that you may choose during the round. It’s just kind of a guess as the wind is correct in all of them. I think maybe I was a bit more aggressive after that second shot on 6 and got into the mentality of making birdies instead of being a little cautious, which is easy to do when it’s blowing like it’s today.”

California dreams

The first page of the leaderboard is littered with players with ties to California. A Los Angeles native, Homa holds three titles in his home state. Morikawa, his playing partner in the first two rounds, is also from LA and won his first major championship at TPC Harding Park in the Bay Area. Steele, Montgomery and Theegala all have their own connections in a welcome homecoming in the first few days.

2023 Farmers Insurance Open Odds, Tips

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

• Sam Ryder: 16/5
• Brendan Steele: 6-1
• Max Homa: 25/4
• Jon Rahm: 7-1
• Taylor Montgomery: 15/2
• Jason Day: 8-1
• Collin Morikawa: 9-1
• Sahith Theegala: 12-1

These are the only players listed below 40-1 on the odds board as the bookies believe this tournament has turned into an eight man race. It’s hard to disagree with them as Ryder has been dominant so far, but I wouldn’t rule out any of them in the immediate chasing group.

I still believe Homa will find a way to win this tournament as he was delivered in a somewhat disappointing 2-70 round on Thursday. With a total of six birdies, Homa placed first on greens on average and third on tee-to-green shots. He’s burned his fair share of edges and if those putts are to fall over the next 36 holes, the 32-year-old has a great chance of getting a hold of Ryder.