Why is the Farmers Insurance Open 2024 starting on Wednesday? Schedule and more explored

The Farmers Insurance Open is set to begin at the Torrey Pines Golf Club on Wednesday, January 24. Unlike the regular PGA Tour events, this week's event will begin a day earlier than usual and end by Saturday evening. This has not been the case in history, and the decision to schedule it from Wednesday to Saturday was taken only a few years ago.

In 2021, a few months before the start of the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open, it was decided to schedule the event a day earlier moving forward. This was done to avoid conflict with the NFL games, especially on Sunday, which dominate the ratings in the US. As per the Sports Business Journal's report, 96 of the 100 most-watched sports events in the US were NFL matches. The Masters was the most-watched golf event, and it ranked 131st.

In the last two years, the Torrey Pines Golf Club event has clashed with the NFL's championship weekend. To avoid this, it was decided to pull the golf event a day earlier. CBS, one of the broadcasters of this week's event, will also televise the American Football Conference (AFC) final.

Not only the PGA Tour but even LIV Golf is adopting the same strategy as the Las Vegas event, scheduled from Thursday to Saturday, to avoid clashing with the NFL Super Bowl, set to take place at Allegiant Stadium.

Here's the schedule for the Farmers Insurance Open:

Wednesday, January 24

• Round 1: 3–7 pm (Golf Channel/Peacock)

Thursday, January 25

• Round 2: 3–7 pm (Golf Channel/Peacock)

Friday, January 26

• Round 3: 3-5 pm (Golf Channel/Peacock), 5-8 pm (CBS)

Saturday, January 27

• Round 4: 2-4 pm (Golf Channel/Peacock), 4-8 pm (CBS)

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Who were the past winners at the Farmers Insurance Open?

Here are all the winners of the Farmers Insurance Open over the years:

• 2023: Max Homa
• 2022: Luke List
• 2021: Patrick Reed
• 2020: Marc Leishman
• 2019: Justin Rose
• 2018: Jason Day
• 2017: Jon Rahm
• 2016: Brandt Snedeker
• 2015: Jason Day
• 2014: Scott Stallings
• 2013: Tiger Woods
• 2012: Brandt Snedeker
• 2011: Bubba Watson
• 2010: Ben Crane
• 2009: Nick Watney
• 2008: Tiger Woods
• 2007: Tiger Woods
• 2006: Tiger Woods
• 2005: Tiger Woods
• 2004: John Daly
• 2003: Tiger Woods
• 2002: José María Olazábal
• 2001: Phil Mickelson
• 2000: Phil Mickelson
• 1999: Tiger Woods
• 1998: Scott Simpson
• 1997: Mark O'Meara
• 1996: Davis Love III
• 1995: Peter Jacobsen
• 1994: Craig Stadler
• 1993: Phil Mickelson
• 1992: Steve Pate
• 1991: Jay Don Blake
• 1990: Dan Forsman
• 1989: Greg Twiggs
• 1988: Steve Pate
• 1987: George Burns
• 1986: Bob Tway
• 1985: Woody Blackburn
• 1984: Gary Koch
• 1983: Gary Hallberg
• 1982: Johnny Miller
• 1981: Bruce Lietzke
• 1980: Tom Watson
• 1979: Fuzzy Zoeller
• 1978: Jay Haas
• 1977: Tom Watson
• 1976: J. C. Snead
• 1975: J. C. Snead
• 1974: Bobby Nichols
• 1973: Bob Dickson
• 1972: Paul Harney
• 1971: George Archer
• 1970: Pete Brown
• 1969: Jack Nicklaus
• 1968: Tom Weiskopf
• 1967: Bob Goalby
• 1966: Billy Casper
• 1965: Wes Ellis
• 1964: Art Wall Jr.
• 1963: Gary Player
• 1962: Tommy Jacobs
• 1961: Arnold Palmer
• 1960: Mike Souchak
• 1959: Marty Furgol
• 1957: Arnold Palmer
• 1956: Bob Rosburg
• 1955: Tommy Bolt
• 1954: Gene Littler
• 1953: Tommy Bolt
• 1952: Ted Kroll