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. With a seven-stroke lead and a tournament record of 23 under par, Rose triumphed at Torrey Pines. He maintained control of the tournament from the start and set new scoring records after each round.
PGA Tour: Justin Rose Wins with Tournament Record
In the final round, a 70 was all Rose needed to secure a comfortable victory. He extended his lead with three birdies on the front nine and had only one bogey on the 12th on the back nine. Rose had enough buffer to not worry and instead focused on beating 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 was able to extend my lead each day is something I am naturally proud of as a player, because it feels like you can handle the pressure from start to finish, keep improving and push forward,\” Rose shared during his winner’s press conference. \”Maybe that’s something I haven’t managed before, so I’m very satisfied with that.\”
Although his golf game was nearly flawless, he credits his mental performance as the key to success. \”I was very disciplined this week. Of course, I played well, but I felt that I managed my game smartly, thought carefully, was patient at the right moments, and made the right putts to compensate for small mistakes. There was a lot of real mental maturity from a strategic golf perspective.\”
Stephan Jäger Finishes in Top 5
With Rose unreachable at the top, the rest battled for second place. Pierceson Coody soared 12 places with a 65, the best round of the day, sharing second place with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune. Just behind them, Stephan Jäger finished tied for 5th at 15 under par, closing with a 68. While Jäger’s previous rounds swung between aggressive birdie-making and bogey trouble, his final round had a mix of both. Three inaccurate shots led to bogeys, but seven birdies kept him in the top 10. After missing the cut at the American Express, this marks a positive sign for the new year and is his best result since the Sony Open in January 2025.
Brooks Koepka completed the tournament with a 70, finishing tied for 56th in his first week back on the PGA Tour. Koepka noted the biggest change: he doesn’t know half the players. \”There have been a lot of 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,\” Koepka said after the event.