Justin Rose led from day one at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, breaking a Tiger Woods record at age 45.
At 45, Justin Rose left his competition no chance at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour. With a seven-shot lead and a tournament record of 23 under par, Rose triumphed at Torrey Pines. He maintained control of the tournament lead from the start, 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 a comfortable victory. Three birdies on the front nine extended his lead, and despite a single bogey at the 12th hole on the back nine, he had enough cushion to stay 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 concentrated on during the last three holes,\” Rose stated afterwards.
\”Being able to extend my lead every day is something I’m proud of as a player. It feels like I managed the pressure from start to finish and kept improving every day,\” Rose said during his winner’s press conference. \”Maybe it’s something I hadn’t achieved before, so I’m very satisfied with that.\”
Although his golf game was nearly flawless, he mainly credited his mental strength for the success. \”I was very disciplined this week. Of course, I played well, but I felt like I managed my game smartly, was patient at the right moments, and compensated small mistakes by sinking crucial putts. There was a lot of genuine mental maturity from a strategic golf perspective.\”
Stephan Jäger in the Top 5
With Rose unreachable at the top, the rest fought for second place. Pierceson Coody shot a 65, the best round of the day, climbing 12 positions to share second place with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune. Right behind them was Stephan Jäger in T5 with a total of 15 under par. With a 68-round, he secured a solid result. While in previous days Jäger fluctuated between birdie-power and bogey-monsters, the final round had a bit of both. Three times inaccurate shots resulted in bogeys, but with seven birdies overall, he kept his spot in the top 10. After missing the cut at the American Express, this signals a positive start for the new year and his best result since the Sony Open in January 2025.
Brooks Koepka finished the tournament with a 70, tied for 56th, completing his first week back on the PGA Tour. Koepka noted the biggest change: he didn’t know half the players. \”There have been changes over 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,\” he said post-tournament.