From day one, Justin Rose led the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, breaking a Tiger Woods record at 45 years old.
At 45, Justin Rose left no doubt at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour. He claimed victory at Torrey Pines with a seven-stroke lead and a tournament record of 23 under par. From the start, he held firm control of the tournament’s lead and set 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 win. With three birdies on the front nine, the Englishman extended his lead further. On the back nine, he made only one bogey on the 12th hole, but had enough buffer to not worry. Instead, he focused on breaking the tournament record of 22 under par set by Tiger Woods in 1999. \”That was the only thing I concentrated on during the last three holes,\” Rose said afterward.
\”The fact that I could extend my lead each day is something I am naturally proud of as a player, because it feels like you can handle the pressure from start to finish and keep improving and moving forward,\” Rose said at his winner’s press conference. \”Maybe that’s something I hadn’t been able to do before, so I am very pleased with that.\”
Although his golf game was nearly flawless, he credited the win mainly to his mental strength. \”I was just very disciplined this week. Of course, I played well, but I felt I managed my game well, thought carefully, was patient at the right moments, and was able to compensate for small mistakes by sinking the right putts at the right moments. It showed 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 competed for second place. Pierceson Coody surged 12 places with a 65, the best round of the day, to claim the spot, sharing it with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune. Right behind them was Stephan Jäger at T5 with a total of 15 under par. He sealed a strong result with a 68. While Jäger alternated between birdie power and bogey trouble earlier, the final day had a bit of both. Three inaccurate shots resulted in bogeys, but seven birdies helped him maintain 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 the tournament tied 56th with a 70 in his first week back on the PGA Tour. The biggest change, Koepka said after the tournament, was that he didn’t know half of the players. \”There have been some changes in 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.\”