LOS ANGELES — World No. 2 Rory McIlroy will play his first event of 2020 at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in California later this month, organizers confirmed on Monday.

The Northern Irishman and reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year returns to the oceanside course outside San Diego after finishing fifth in the tournament in 2019.

The 30-year-old will be aiming to build on a solid showing in his most recent event, a fourth place at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November. Prior to that outing, McIlroy had scored a victory in the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.

McIlroy enjoyed a superb 2019 season with wins in the Players Championship, RBC Canadian Open and Tour Championship.

His 18 USPGA Tour wins include four major championships, the 2011 US Open, 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship and 2014 British Open.

The Jan. 23-26 tournament is set to feature a strong field with 2017 champion and world number three Jon Rahm, defending champion Justin Rose and reigning US Open champion Gary Woodland all playing the event. — AFP