From day one, Justin Rose led the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open and broke a Tiger Woods record at age 45.
At 45 years old, Justin Rose dominated the competition at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour, winning by seven strokes with a tournament record of 23 under par at Torrey Pines. He maintained the lead throughout and set new scoring records after each round.
PGA Tour: Justin Rose Wins with Tournament Record
Rose secured his comfortable victory with a final round 70. He pulled away further with three birdies on the front nine, had only one bogey on the 12th on the back nine, but held enough buffer to not worry. Instead, he focused on beating 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 said afterwards.
“The fact that I was able to extend my lead every 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 progress,” Rose said at his winner’s press conference. “Maybe that’s something I hadn’t achieved before, so I’m very satisfied.”
While his golf game was almost flawless, Rose attributed much of his success to his mental game. “I was very disciplined this week. Of course, I played well, but I managed my game thoughtfully, was patient at the right moments, and was able to compensate for small mistakes by sinking the right putts at the right time. It showed real 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 shot a 65, the best round of the day, climbing 12 spots to share second with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune. Just behind them was Stephan Jäger tied for 5th at 15 under par. With a 68 in the final round, he secured a strong finish. After a missed cut at the American Express, this marks a positive sign for the new year and his best result since the Sony Open in January 2025.
Brooks Koepka closed the tournament tied for 56th with a final round 70, completing his first week back on the PGA Tour. “The biggest change is that I don’t recognize half the players,” Koepka said after the tournament. “There have been a lot of changes over the last four years. I know half the guys, and the other half I don’t. It’s going to be an exciting year to get to know everyone, and I’m looking forward to it.”