From day one, Justin Rose led the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open, breaking a Tiger Woods record at age 45.
At 45 years old, Justin Rose left his competition behind at the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open, securing victory at Torrey Pines with a seven-stroke lead and a tournament record of 23-under par. From the start, he maintained firm control of the tournament lead, setting new scoring records after each round.
PGA Tour: Justin Rose claims victory with tournament record
In the final round, a 70 was enough to comfortably secure the win. Rose separated further with three birdies on the front nine; his only blemish on the back nine was a bogey at the 12th. He had ample buffer to stay relaxed and focused instead on breaking the tournament record of 22-under par set by Tiger Woods in 1999. \”That was the only thing I focused on during the last three holes,\” Rose said afterward.
\”The fact that I was able to extend my lead every day is something I’m naturally proud of as a player. You feel that you can handle the pressure from start to finish, continue improving, and keep moving forward,\” Rose stated during his winner’s press conference. \”Maybe that’s something I hadn’t achieved before, so I’m very pleased.\”
While his golf game was near flawless, Rose attributed his success primarily to mental strength. \”This week I was just very disciplined. Of course, I played well, but I managed my game thoughtfully, was patient when needed, and made the right putts at critical moments to compensate for minor mistakes. There was a lot of true mental maturity from a strategic golf perspective.\”
Stephan Jäger finishes strong in top 5
With Rose unreachable at the summit, the rest battled for second place. Pierceson Coody shot the round’s best 65, climbing 12 spots to claim a tie for second with Si Woo Kim and Roy Hisatsune. Right behind them was Stephan Jäger tied for 5th at 15-under par. He shot a 68 to secure a solid finish. While earlier rounds alternated between birdie bursts and bogey troubles for Jäger, the final day showed a bit of both. Three inaccurate shots led to bogeys but seven birdies kept him comfortably in the top 10. After missing the cut at the American Express, this strong performance marks a positive sign for the new year and his best result since January’s Sony Open 2025.
Brooks Koepka closed the tournament with a 70 to finish tied 56th, completing his first week back on the PGA Tour. Koepka noted the biggest change is that he doesn’t recognize half the players. \”There have been some changes in the last four years. I know half the guys, but not the other half. It’s going to be an exciting year meeting them all, and I’m looking forward to it,\” he said.