From day one, Justin Rose led at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, breaking a Tiger Woods record at age 45.
At 45 years old, Justin Rose left his competition no chance 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 controlled the tournament from the start, setting new scoring records after each round.
PGA Tour: Justin Rose Wins with Tournament Record
In the final round, a 70 was enough to secure a comfortable victory. With three birdies on the front nine, the Englishman extended his lead, and despite a bogey on the 12th on the back nine, he had enough buffer to stay worry-free. He focused on breaking the tournament record of 22 under par set last by Tiger Woods in 1999. \”That was the only thing I concentrated on during the last three holes,\” Rose later said.
\”The fact that I could extend my lead every day is something I’m naturally proud of as a player, because it feels like you can handle the pressure from the start to the finish and keep improving,\” Rose said at his winner’s press conference. \”Maybe it’s something I haven’t done before, so I’m very satisfied with it.\”
While almost nothing was wrong with his golf game, he credited his success primarily to mental toughness. \”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 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 competed for second place. Pierceson Coody shot a 65, the best round of the day, improving twelve places to share the runner-up spot with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune. Just behind them was Stephan Jäger tied for 5th with a total of 15 under par. His 68 in the final round secured a good result. While Jäger’s previous days were marked by either birdie power or bogey troubles, the final day had a mix of both. Three inaccurate shots led to bogeys, but with seven birdies overall, he maintained a top-10 position. After missing the cut at the American Express, this is a positive sign for the new year and his best result since the Sony Open in January 2025.
Brooks Koepka finished tied for 56th with a 70 in the tournament, completing his first week back on the PGA Tour. The biggest change, Koepka noted after the tournament, was not recognizing half the players. \”There have been some changes in the last four years. I know half the guys, and the other half I don’t. It’s going to be an exciting year to get to know everyone, and I’m looking forward to it.\”