From day one, Justin Rose led the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, breaking a Tiger Woods record at age 45.
At 45 years old, Justin Rose dominated his competition at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, winning by seven strokes with a tournament record of 23 under par in Torrey Pines. He maintained the lead throughout the event, 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 the comfortable victory. With three birdies on the front nine, the Englishman extended his lead. He made one bogey on hole 12 of the back nine but had a large enough cushion to remain worry-free. 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 focused on during the last three holes,” Rose said afterward.
“The fact that I could increase my lead each day is something I’m proud of as a player. It gives you the feeling of handling pressure from start to finish and continuously improving,” Rose stated in his winner’s press conference. “Maybe that’s something I hadn’t achieved before, so I’m very pleased.”
Although his golf game was nearly flawless, he credits his mental strength for the win. “I was very disciplined this week. Of course, I played well, but I managed my game smartly, was patient at the right moments, and made the right putts to save small mistakes. There was a lot of true mental maturity from a strategic golf perspective.”
Stephan Jäger Finishes in Top 5
With Rose untouchable at the top, the rest battled for second place. Pierceson Coody rose 12 places to share second with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune after shooting the day’s best round, 65. Following closely was Stephan Jäger tied for fifth with a total of 15 under par, securing the good result with a 68 in the final round. While earlier days saw Jäger either on birdie streaks or bogey runs, the final day mixed both. He made three bogeys due to errant shots but offset them with seven birdies to hold his top-10 position. After missing the cut at the American Express, this is a positive sign for Jäger’s year and his best finish since the Sony Open in January 2025.
Brooks Koepka finished tied for 56th with a 70, completing his first week back on the PGA Tour. Koepka remarked on the changes, “I don’t know half the players anymore. Over the last four years, some things have changed. I know half the guys and not the other half. It’s going to be an exciting year where I’ll get to know them all, and I’m looking forward to it.”