From day one, Justin Rose led at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, breaking Tiger Woods’ record at 45 years old.
At 45, Justin Rose dominated the Farmers Insurance Open, finishing seven strokes ahead of his competition with a tournament record of 23 under par at Torrey Pines. He held the lead firmly throughout the event, setting new scoring records after every round.
PGA Tour: Justin Rose Claims Victory with Tournament Record
In the final round, a score of 70 was enough for a comfortable win. After making three birdies on the front nine, Rose extended his lead further; despite a bogey on the 12th hole on the back nine, he had enough cushion to remain unconcerned. He focused on breaking the tournament record of 22 under par, last set by Tiger Woods in 1999. “That was the only thing I focused on in the last three holes,” Rose later said.
“Being able to increase my lead every day is something I’m proud of as a player because it shows you can handle pressure from start to finish, continuously improve, and keep pushing forward,” Rose said during his winner’s press conference. “Maybe it’s something I hadn’t managed before, so I’m very satisfied with that.”
While there was little to criticize about his golf, Rose attributed his success mainly to his mental game. “I was very disciplined this week. Of course, I played well, but I managed my game effectively, thought things through, was patient at the right moments, and made the right putts to compensate for small errors. There was a lot of true mental maturity from a strategic golf perspective.”
Stephan Jäger Finishes in Top 5
With Rose unreachable at the top, the rest battled for second place. Pierceson Coody climbed 12 spots with a 65, the best round of the day, sharing the position with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune. Just behind them was Stephan Jäger, tied for 5th with a total of 15 under par. He secured this strong result with a 68 in the final round. After recent inconsistent performances, the final day showed a mix of birdie power and bogeys for Jäger. Despite three bogeys caused by inaccurate shots, seven birdies helped him maintain a top 10 position. This was a positive sign for the new 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. “The biggest change is I don’t know half the players,” Koepka said post-tournament. “There have been many changes in the last four years. I know half the guys and not the other half. It’s going to be an exciting year to meet everyone, and I’m looking forward to it.”