Sam Ryder relishes final-round duel with Jon Rahm at Torrey Pines

LA JOLLA, Calif. – The golf world appears fixated on Jon Rahm’s quest to win a third consecutive PGA TOUR start.

It’s a fair fixation. Rahm has looked borderline unstoppable at times in recent months, compiling four wins in five official starts worldwide, and he has played his last 23 holes at Torrey Pines in 11 under, despite demanding conditions on the Pacific coastline. A win would move him to world No. 1. He has played his way into the final grouping for Saturday’s final round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

It would seem to align for a coronation.

Then there’s Farmers leader Sam Ryder, the 11-year pro whose profile might still fly under the radar amongst most golf fans. Ryder has qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in five consecutive seasons, compiling 15 top-10 finishes in 146 TOUR starts, and has capably proven himself as a member of the game’s most proficient tier. Just one thing is missing: a PGA TOUR title.

The Stetson alum looks to change that Saturday at Torrey Pines, and fans are set to learn a lot more about him along the way – first thing to convey: no relation to Ryder Cup namesake Samuel Ryder.

Ryder, 33, carries a two-stroke lead over Rahm into the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open, standing 12-under total after a third-round, even-par 72 that featured 16 pars. Ryder and Rahm will compete in Saturday’s final grouping alongside Tony Finau, who on Friday carded the week’s low round at Torrey South, 8-under 64, to move from the cut line to solo third.

Rahm and Finau have combined for six PGA TOUR titles in the last nine months. They’ll chase more hardware Saturday amidst one of golf’s more iconic backdrops, the public-access layout that has produced so much history in this game. The penultimate grouping is stout as well, featuring a trio of multi-time TOUR winners in Sungjae Im, Collin Morikawa and Max Homa, each five strokes off Ryder’s pace.

Ryder looks forward to the challenge of fending them off.

“You ultimately want to see how good you can be,” Ryder said in the Friday afternoon twilight. “I love the game and I love to play. Playing against the best players in the world really shows you how good you are. It’s really fun, it’s exciting, so I’m just going to try and enjoy it.”

Ryder has long been impressed by Rahm’s work ethic and competitiveness, which have come more than ever to the forefront in recent weeks. The two played a practice round during the FedExCup Playoffs last summer, and Ryder was appreciative of Rahm’s affability and willing to share insights.

“He was very open about his golf IQ,” Ryder said. “He's a very intelligent golfer, not to mention his talent, so it was cool to watch him work and kind of see the way he thinks through some of the golf courses and his shots. I mean, he’s a competitor; I'm not expecting him to go out there and be my buddy tomorrow. I think he's going to go out there and try and win, what, his third straight start this year?

“He’s one of the guys I look to as one of the best in the world, if not the best.”

Rahm has famously built a special relationship with Torrey Pines, which he describes as one of his favorite places in the world. He earned his first TOUR title here at the 2017 Farmers. He won his first major championship here at the 2021 U.S. Open. He even proposed to his wife Kelley on the Torrey Pines cliffs. Returning to world No. 1 with another title at Torrey would be a worthy addition to the memory bank.

“Very few places where I feel like I’m in Spain, and this is one of them,” Rahm said after a third-round 66 at Torrey South. “I get a lot of support, and it’s very nice to see … This is a wonderful golf course, obviously suits my strengths, and I think because I like it so much, I’ve done very well here.”

Ryder has some unique history at Torrey Pines as well. Back in 2016, he held conditional Korn Ferry Tour status after finishing No. 4 on the prior year’s PGA TOUR Canada season-long standings. His first start in his category was set for the Brasil Champions in early April.

The weekend prior to his trip to Brazil, Ryder flew to Torrey Pines. He was a groomsman for a childhood friend who went to law school in San Diego and fell in love in southern California.

The day before the wedding, they played Torrey Pines. Ryder fell in love with the course and has always enjoyed coming back.

After the wedding, Ryder flew to Brazil and finished T22. The points earned him a spot in the subsequent reshuffle, and he played a mostly full Korn Ferry Tour calendar from there. He kept his card, earned his TOUR card the next year and has established himself as a seasoned TOUR pro.

Regarding that certain void in his professional resume, he aims to fill it Saturday – and add to Torrey history along the way.

“I want this to be a regular thing,” Ryder said of contending on TOUR. “Regardless of what happens tomorrow, I just want to give myself more opportunities. I’ve won at every level from college to PGA TOUR Canada to the (Korn Ferry) Tour, and this is next on the list.

“Whether it's tomorrow or whether it's down the road, I believe that's going to happen at some point. Just trying to enjoy the journey and the ride and all those things, too, as much as possible.”

That’s not hard to do at Torrey Pines.