Stephan Jäger is in the top 5 after an excellent 65 round at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour. Brooks Koepka faces challenges in his return.
Stephan Jäger had an outstanding start on Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour. With a round of 65, he landed tied for 5th and is close to the lead. Other German players had a tougher time. Thomas Rosenmüller scored 2 under par for a tie at 55th, ahead of Jeremy Paul, who sits even par at T87, and Matti Schmid, who shot 1 over par and is T101 heading into the second day. Sharing 101st place with Schmid is LIV Golf returnee Brooks Koepka, who had some struggles at his first event back on the American Tour. Leading after day one is Justin Rose at 10 under par.
PGA Tour: Stephan Jäger Nearly Perfect
Stephan Jäger achieved his best start in some time at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour. On the North Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, he delivered an almost flawless round, with only the start not going to plan. On the first hole, his second shot landed in the bunker near the green, and he failed to get up and down, resulting in a bogey to start his round. However, Jäger was not unsettled. On the third hole, he reset by hitting a strong tee shot on the 150-meter par 3 close to the hole for a birdie. His round really took off with an excellent stretch in the middle. Between holes 7 and 9, he made three birdies to reach 3 under par after the front nine. A highlight was his birdie on hole 8: after his tee shot landed in the bunker near the green, he hit an outstanding sand shot that rolled directly into the hole. Jäger carried this momentum into the back nine with two birdies to start and added two more on holes 16 and 17, finishing with 7 under par and positioned 5th for the rest of the week.
Thomas Rosenmüller had a steadier round. Like Jäger, he started with his only bogey of the day but reached even par on the front nine thanks to a birdie on hole 9. Additional birdies on holes 11 and 17 earned him a 70 and T55 place.
Jeremy Paul began his round on the back nine, but it was the front nine that cost him on Thursday. After three birdies and one bogey, it seemed he might post a good score, but three consecutive bogeys on holes 2, 4, and 6 set him back.