From day one, Justin Rose led the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, breaking a Tiger Woods record at age 45.
At 45, Justin Rose left his competition no chance at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour. Winning at Torrey Pines with a seven-shot lead and a tournament record of 23 under par, Rose controlled the tournament from start to finish, setting new scoring records after each round.
PGA Tour: Justin Rose Wins with Tournament Record
In the final, a 70-round was enough to secure a comfortable victory. With three birdies on the front nine, the Englishman further extended his lead; on the back nine, he made only one bogey on 12, but had enough buffer to not worry. Instead, he focused on the final holes aiming to beat the tournament record of 22 under par, last set by Tiger Woods in 1999. \”That was the only thing I concentrated on in the last three holes,\” Rose said afterward.
\”The fact that I could increase my lead every day is something I’m naturally proud of as a player, as you feel that you can handle the pressure from start to finish and keep improving and moving forward,\” Rose said at his winner’s press conference. \”Maybe that’s something I hadn’t achieved before, so I’m very satisfied with that.\”
Even though there was little to criticize about his golf game, he attributes his success mainly to mental strength. \”I was very disciplined this week. Of course, I played well, but I managed my game well, thought carefully, was patient at the right moments, and was able to compensate for small mistakes by sinking the right putt at the right time. There was a lot of true mental maturity from a strategic golf perspective.\”
Stephan Jäger Among Top 5
With Rose unreachable at the top, the rest fought for second place. Pierceson Coody surged 12 places with a 65, the best round of the day, tying with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune for that spot. Just behind them, Stephan Jäger finished T5 with 15 under par. With a 68-round, he secured his solid result. While Jäger had displayed extremes in previous days—either full birdie power or bogey mistakes—the final day showed a mix of both. Three inaccurate shots resulted in bogeys, but seven birdies helped him retain a top-10 position. After missing the cut at the American Express, this result is a positive sign for the new year and his best since the Sony Open in January 2025.
Brooks Koepka concluded the tournament with a 70-round in T56, completing his first week back on the PGA Tour. The biggest change, Koepka said, was that he doesn’t know half the players anymore. \”There have been many changes in the last four years. I know half the guys, the other half I don’t. It’s going to be an exciting year getting to know everyone, and I’m looking forward to it.\”