SAN DIEGO — Taking the tee for the opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open is like arriving for spring training — everyone is brimming with optimism and believes they have a chance to win.

The course hasn’t yet knocked such notions out of them, especially those who start on the relatively easier North Course.

So dare to dream, Sam Ryder, Aaron Rai and Brent Grant.

There isn’t a PGA Tour title among them. Heck, Grant is a tour rookie. But they share the first-round lead after each shot 8-under 64s Wednesday on the North Course.

“I’m thankful to be out here and thankful for this good round,” said Grant, balancing the positives with what it’s taken to get here, “but so far it’s been one hell of a grind and it’s not going to stop, it never does. So to think that I’ve made it or that I’ve done something special doesn’t aid me in any way.”

It can be a grind, even for the best of them.

World No. 3 Jon Rahm, aiming to win his third straight start, had a frustrating day on the South Course, carding a 1-over 73.

One young fan, holding a sign that read, “I skipped school to see you win Jon Rahm,” was given a ball by the Spaniard during the round.

There was another ball Rahm wished he had back on the par-4 seventh hole. His second shot flew over the green and went out of bounds, and Rahm was forced to take a particularly painful double-bogey.

“The rough is thick as always,” Rahm said. “No. 7 was arguably the best swing of the day, (but) that cost me two shots. ...

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