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 seven-stroke margin and a tournament record of 23 under par, Rose maintained firm control of the tournament lead from the start, setting new scoring records after every round.
PGA Tour: Justin Rose wins with tournament record
In the final round, all he needed was a 70 to secure a comfortable victory. With three birdies on the front nine, the Englishman pulled further ahead; on the back nine, he had only one bogey on the 12th, but Rose had a sufficient buffer to remain unconcerned. Instead, he focused on surpassing the tournament record of 22 under par previously 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 increase my lead each day is something I’m proud of as a player because it feels like you can handle the pressure from start to finish, keep improving and moving forward,\” Rose said at his winner’s press conference. \”Perhaps that’s something I hadn’t accomplished before, so I’m very satisfied with it.\”
Though his golf was nearly flawless, he credits his mental game for much of his success. \”I was just very disciplined this week. Of course, I played well, but I thought I managed my game well, was thoughtful, patient at the right moments, and compensated for small mistakes by sinking the right putts when needed. This showed a lot of real 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 posted a 65, the best round of the day, improving 12 spots to tie for second with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune. Just behind them, Stephan Jäger tied for 5th at 15 under par with a 68 in the final round. While in previous days Jäger showed either birdie power or bogey troubles, the final round showed a bit of both. Three inaccurate shots resulted in bogeys, but seven total birdies kept him in the top 10. 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 ended the tournament with a 70, finishing tied 56th, concluding his first week back on the PGA Tour. Koepka said the biggest change was that he didn’t recognize half the players. \”There have been some changes in the last four years. I know half of 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.\”