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 left his competitors no chance at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour. Winning at Torrey Pines with a tournament record of 23 under par and a seven-stroke lead, Rose controlled the tournament from start to finish, setting new scoring records after each round.
PGA Tour: Justin Rose Wins with Tournament Record
In the final round, Rose needed only a 70 to secure a comfortable victory. With three birdies on the front nine, the Englishman extended his lead further; on the back nine he had just one bogey on the 12th hole but had enough buffer to stay relaxed. Instead, he focused on beating the tournament record of 22 under par, last set by Tiger Woods in 1999. \”That was the only thing I focused on during the last three holes,\” Rose said afterwards.
\”The fact that I was able to extend my lead each day is something I’m naturally proud of as a player, because it feels like you can handle the pressure from start to finish, keep improving, and keep moving forward,\” Rose said at his winner’s press conference. \”Maybe that’s something I hadn’t achieved before, so I’m very pleased with that.\”
Even though there was hardly anything to criticize in his golf game, he credits the success mainly to his mental performance. \”I was just very disciplined this week. Of course, I played well, but I felt that I managed my game thoughtfully, was patient at the right moments, and could compensate for small mistakes by sinking the right putt at the right moment. There was a lot of true mental maturity from a strategic golf perspective.\”
Stephan Jäger in the Top 5
With Rose unreachable at the top, the rest battled for second place. Pierceson Coody shot a 65, the best round of the day, moving up 12 places to claim the position, which he shares with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune. Just behind them is Stephan Jäger tied for 5th with 15 under par overall. With a 68 in the final round, he secured this strong result. While Jäger’s previous days swung between full birdie power and bogey troubles, the final day had a bit of both. Three times imprecise shots led to bogeys, but with seven birdies overall, he held onto a top 10 spot. 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 the tournament tied for 56th after a 70 in the final round, completing his first week back on the PGA Tour. The biggest change, Koepka said after the tournament, is that he doesn’t recognize half the players anymore. \”In the last four years there have been some changes. I know half the guys, and the other half I don’t. It’s going to be an exciting year getting to know everyone, and I’m looking forward to that.\”