A pair of PGA Tour winners and a 2025 DP World Tour champion have withdrawn from the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open in the lead-up to one of the most eagerly-anticipated regular events of the season.
Not only is the Farmers Insurance Open a historic event on the PGA Tour thanks to the list of past champions it has offered, but one of the all-time great courses - Torrey Pines - adds to the value of the tournament.
Plus, this year's Farmers Insurance Open will see former LIV golfer Brooks Koepka make his second PGA Tour debut after agreeing to the terms of the recently introduced Returning Member Program - set up to facilitate the five-time Major winner's switch.
While much of the media's attention will be on Koepka over the coming days, there is a very strong field - including the likes of Ludvig Aberg, Xander Schauffele, Cameron Young and Si Woo Kim - looking to make headlines of their own via a win.
However, multiple players will definitely not be adding to their victory tallies in California after pulling out at the start of the week.
Nico Echavarria and Patton Kizzire - both winners on the PGA Tour in the 2024 season - were the first to withdraw for unspecified reasons.
Echavarria claimed the 2024 Zozo Championship in Japan while Kizzire lifted the 2024 Procore Championship in September. The former has two PGA Tour wins while American Kizzire has three.
Following in Kizzire's footsteps on Monday morning was Michael Kim, who lifted the DP World Tour's Open de France last September, adding to his 2018 John Deere Classic success.
Kim, who has ties to California having attended the University of California, Berkely - explained the reason for his withdrawal on X, posting: "I’ve been dealing with a back strain these last few weeks and I was hoping for it to improve but it hasn’t.
"I’m taking a week off to get healthy for this next stretch. Really disappointing to miss my hometown event. I’ll be back next yr."
I’ve been dealing with a back strain these last few weeks and I was hoping for it to improve but it hasn’t. I’m taking a week off to get healthy for this next stretch. Really disappointing to miss my hometown event. I’ll be back next yr https://t.co/72SVKTzXxmJanuary 26, 2026
Sam Ryder replaced Kim in the field while Taylor Moore took Echavarria's spot. The popular figure of Joel Dahmen moved up from the alternates list and will play instead of Kizzire.
Another new face to enter the Farmers Insurance Open field is APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational winner, Marcus Byrd.
The Temple Hills, Maryland pro claimed the first APGA title of 2026 by three strokes after shooting 67-69 on Torrey Pines' North Course last weekend and will make his second Farmers Insurance Open start in the coming days.
Byrd - who won twice and secured seven top-10 finishes in nine events on his way to landing the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour’s 2025 Jeff Dailey Player of the Year - played in the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open on a sponsor's exemption but missed the cut.
He is now excited to give it another go after earning his way into the field alongside Koepka and co.
Byrd said: "It always feels a little sweeter when you earn your way through. I think if you ask all 18 of us if we’d want to have a chance to play two rounds and get into the Farmers Insurance Open, we’d take that.
"It’s great to see where your game is at. It's early in the year, and it’s good to see hard work pay off in the offseason. I’m excited to get going this week.”
FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN FIELD CHANGES
- WD: Nico Echavarria - IN: Taylor Moore
- WD: Patton Kizzire - IN: Joel Dahmen
- WD: Michael Kim - IN: Sam Ryder
- IN: Marcus Byrd
