Stephan Jäger shines with a 65 round, sitting in the top 5 at the Farmers Insurance Open. Brooks Koepka faces challenges in his PGA Tour comeback.
Stephan Jäger delivered an outstanding start on Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open of the PGA Tour. With a 65, he landed in a tie for fifth place, closely trailing the leaders. Other German players had a tougher time. Thomas Rosenmüller carded a 2-under-par round tied for 55th, ahead of Jeremy Paul, who sits at even par tied 87th, and Matti Schmid, who shot 1-over par and is tied for 101st going into the second day. Sharing that position with Schmid is LIV Golf returnee Brooks Koepka, who had difficulties in his first tournament back on the American Tour. Leading after the first day is Justin Rose with 10 under par.
PGA Tour: Stephan Jäger Nearly Flawless
Stephan Jäger achieved his best start in a while at the Farmers Insurance Open on the North Course of Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego. He played an almost flawless round, with only the beginning not going perfectly. On the first hole, his second shot landed in a bunker near the green, causing him to start his day with a bogey as he missed the up and down. However, Jäger was not unsettled. On hole 3, he bounced back by hitting a strong tee shot on the 150-meter par 3 close to the hole, securing a birdie. His momentum really surged in the middle of the round; from holes 7 to 9, he made three birdies to reach 3-under par after the front nine. A highlight was birdie on hole 8, where despite his tee shot landing in a bunker, he executed an excellent sand shot that rolled directly into the hole. The 36-year-old carried this momentum to the back nine, starting with two birdies followed by two more on holes 16 and 17. He finished with a 7-under par round to enter the rest of the week in fifth place.
Thomas Rosenmüller had a quieter round. Like Jäger, he started with his only bogey of the day but made a birdie on hole 9 to reach even par after the front nine. He followed with birdies on holes 11 and 17, posting a 70 and sharing 55th place.
Jeremy Paul began his round on the back nine but struggled on the front nine, dropping three unrecovered bogeys on holes 2, 4, and 6 after three birdies and a bogey early. A birdie on hole 7 brought him back to even par and a tie for 87th.
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