SAN DIEGO — Ted and Debbi Sawyer have their routine for the Farmers Insurance Open.
They leave their home in Temecula at 7:30 a.m.
They get to Torrey Pines an hour later.
They make their way to the course entrance and then make a beeline to the ropeline adjacent to the 18th green.
When they unfolded their lounge chairs as final-round play began Saturday morning, the Sawyers had the place all to themselves.
"This is where we come every year," Ted Sawyer said. "It's a great spot to watch."
When the final group walked up the 18th fairway 7 1/2 hours later, the Sawyers had been joined by about 5,000 others.
In between the start and the finish, fans routinely enjoy one of the more special places in San Diego.
The 18th green is often dripping with drama as the Farmers approaches its conclusion.
It was again shortly before the sun slipped into the sea.
Will Zalatoris missed a putt by an eyelash that would have won him the tournament on the 72nd hole.
The miss opened the door for Luke List to return to 18 for a playoff with Zalatoris, where List put his third shot within a foot of the hole for a birdie that delivered his first PGA Tour title.
That was the moment everyone was waiting for, but the 18th provided endless entertainment in the hours leading up to the big moment.
As usual, the pin on 18 was placed front left for the final round. The green is on higher ground behind the hole, allowing balls to feed back toward it. A pond guards the front of the green. The grass is shaved thin near the edge, making avoiding the water even more of a hazard.
"If it's close it's always ooooooooooooooh," said La Mesa's John Rezatto, who watched C.T. Pan's approach shot land close to the flag, only to see it spin back into the water.
"Hit it up above the hole, rolled back and tipped over the green," Rezatto said.
He loves the location, choosing to stand on a sidewalk area above a grassy knoll.
"High ground," Rezatto said. "Don't have to worry about people blocking your view."
Second-round co-leader Adam Schenk had a ball back up into the water just like Pan.
Cue the crowd: "Ooooooooooh."
One moment fans are groaning when Marc Leishman's third shot goes kerplunk.
A moment later they are cheering when Daniel Berger's ball backs up two feet from the pin to set up a birdie.
They saluted local favorite Pat Perez, who waved his cap to the crowd after finishing a fantastic week (tied for sixth) with a birdie.
And on it went.
"We used to walk the course all the time, but Deb had back surgery and my foot's all jacked up, so this works," Ted Sawyer said.
It's also a safe zone of sorts with no trees nearby.
Ted Sawyer said they were next to a tree on the 14th hole that was hit by lightning (OK, maybe it was just downed by high winds) during the 2016 tournament that was impacted by a violent storm.
"We had to leave when the sirens went off," Ted Sawyer said.
That seemed sensible.
The 18th is best known, of course, for Tiger Woods' historic putt — and double fist pump — that sent the 2008 U.S. Open to a 19-hole playoff Woods won the next day over Rocco Mediate.
The Sawyers' most memorable moment came last summer when the Open returned to Torrey.
As usual, they were well positioned on the 18th to see Jon Rahm clinch his first major.
They relive it regularly.
"We're in one of the commercials for the PGA," Debbi Sawyer said. "It's the one where Rahm is shown winning the Open. We're in the background."
It may have been too dark to tell, but they were in the background again for the finish Saturday night, surrounded by thousands of companions who soaked in everything the 18th had to offer.
