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 behind at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, winning by seven strokes with a tournament record of 23 under par at Torrey Pines. He held the lead firmly from start to finish, setting new scoring records after each round.
PGA Tour: Justin Rose Wins with Tournament Record
In the final round, Rose only needed a 70 to secure a comfortable victory. Three birdies on the front nine extended his lead; on the back nine, just one bogey at the 12th hole occurred, but he had enough buffer to not worry. Instead, he focused on breaking the tournament record of 22 under par, previously 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 was able to extend my lead each day is something I’m proud of as a player because it shows I could handle the pressure from start to finish, continually improve, and move forward,\” Rose said during his winner’s press conference. \”Maybe that’s something I hadn’t managed before, so I’m very satisfied.\”
While his golf game was nearly flawless, Rose attributes his success mainly to his mental strength. \”I was just very disciplined this week. Of course, I played well, but I felt I managed my game smartly, was patient at the right moments, and compensated for small mistakes by sinking the right putts at the right time. There was a lot of genuine mental maturity from a strategic golf perspective.\”
Stephan Jäger Finishes in Top 5
With Rose unreachable at the top, the rest competed 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. Right behind them was Stephan Jäger at T5, with a total of 15 under par. A 68 in the final round secured his strong result. Whereas in previous days he showed either full birdie power or bogey struggles, Jäger’s final day displayed a bit of both; three inaccurate shots led to bogeys, but seven birdies helped him maintain a top-10 position. After missing the cut at the American Express, this signals a positive start to the year and is his best result since the Sony Open in January 2025.
Brooks Koepka finished the tournament with a 70, placing T56, completing his first week back on the PGA Tour. Koepka noted the biggest change is that he doesn’t recognize half the players. \”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,\” he said after the tournament.