Rainy days on Mondays always get things down on tournament week at the Torrey Pines Golf Course.
Torrey is typically bustling with activity as PGA Tour pros begin preparations for the Farmers Insurance Open.
Players line up along the driving range and crowd the putting greens. Some even get out on the North and South courses for a glimpse of the grounds, including — gulp — Torrey’s infamous rough.
The golfers let Mother Nature play through on Monday.
Rain made everyone scatter until early afternoon. And just when it appeared there might be a window of opportunity to get in some work, fog rolled in and dispelled that notion.
Late, late in the day, the fog lifted as the sun headed for the horizon and afternoon gave way to evening. A few pairs of players were seen walking hole to hole on the South with putters in hand so they could roll a few balls on the greens.
The only PGA Tour pros spotted at the course before that were Kevin Streelman and Zac Blair. Actually, Streelman and Blair were inside a hotel ballroom adjacent to the South’s 18th fairway.
There they spoke to youngsters from Millennial Tech Middle School who attended a First Green event put on by the San Diego Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
Streelman is a Torrey veteran most notable for sharing the first-round lead in the 2008 U.S. Open here when he was a Tour rookie.
“This is a pretty extreme one,” Streelman said of the weather. “We might not be able to practice at all today.
“It’s kind of just, take a breath, get a workout in, get a stretch in and prepare for tomorrow.”
The Farmers’ unusual Wednesday through Saturday schedule means Tuesday’s pro-am is the only opportunity to get on the course before the opening round.
Streelman, 45, has been playing the past two weeks, so he wasn’t concerned about losing a prep day.
“For guys maybe starting here, they probably are a little frustrated that they aren’t able to get out and see some shots,” he said. “But they’ll be in the pro-am tomorrow. Rest is never a bad thing when it comes to professional golf. I tell the young guys that all the time.”
The grounds should dry under cloudy skies as the week progresses.
The forecast for the first two rounds Wednesday and Thursday is in the same range — the low 60s — as golfers aspire to shoot.
Saturday’s final round is a classic San Diego forecast — sunny and 72.
John Howard, the golf course manager for the City of San Diego, said 1.6 inches of rain fell on the course by midday Monday, with an expectation of getting at least two inches before the day was over.
“Earlier in the day we saw standing water on the greens, and we did have pooling in the fairways,” Howard said. “The great thing for us is we’ve got good drainage here on the property. Over the last 10 years we’ve done capital improvement projects that have really helped us, especially in our green complexes.”
This wasn’t too severe as weather events go, mostly because the rain was not accompanied by strong winds that can wreak havoc. Howard said no trees were lost.
The rain is expected to make the course softer than Tour officials would ideally like it. That could make the greens more favorable for scoring. Getting to the green could be more of a challenge, however.
“The rough is definitely going to be juicier than it would have been,” said Howard, adding, “With all of this rain, the fertilizer that’s out there, it’s growing through the roof. …
“The longer that we don’t mow, the more challenging it gets to actually bring that down.”
Mowers were expected to start their engines early Tuesday morning.
“We’ll see how it all comes out,” Howard said, “but the golf course at the end of the day, I think, is going to show real well.”
He did have a suggestion for spectators who will be navigating wet grounds: “Watch your step.”
Notable
• Nick Dunlap, the first amateur in 33 years to win a PGA event, withdrew from the tournament on Monday. The 20-year-old Alabama sophomore won The American Express on Sunday, becoming the first amateur since Phil Mickelson in 1991 to win a tour event.
“After a life-changing last 24 hours, I’ve decided to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open,” Dunlap said in a statement issued by the PGA Tour. “I plan to return to Alabama to be with family, friends and teammates. Thank you to Farmers Insurance and American Express for giving me these opportunities.”
• Justin Thomas, ranked No. 23 in the world rankings, also withdrew. Thomas, a two-time major winner, was coming off a third-place tie at The American Express.
• Pairings for the first two rounds were announced on Monday.
The biggest gallery Wednesday could be expected on the South’s first tee at 10:40 a.m. to watch the threesome that includes local favorite Xander Schauffele, ranked No. 5 in the world, defending champion Max Homa (7) and Tony Finau (26).
The group that follows them includes Keegan Bradley (13), last year’s runnerup, and Jason Day (18), a two-time Farmers Insurance Open champion.
The most notable group playing the North on Wednesday is the threesome that includes Patrick Cantlay (6), Collin Morikawa (12) and Sahith Theegala (19). They take the tee at 9:12 a.m.
• Charley Hoffman, the pride of Poway High School, is in the first group of the day on South No. 1 at 8:50 a.m. Three other local players will be starting the tournament Wednesday at North No. 1 — Michael Kim (9:12 a.m.), J.J. Spaun (9:23) and Cameron Sisk (11:02).
• The Monday qualifying event at Murrieta’s Bear Creek Golf Club was postponed to Tuesday morning. The last four entrants to the 156-man Farmers field come from the qualifier.
Steve Sugimoto (Rancho Bernardo High School/San Diego State) is among the 73 players attempting to qualify.
