Rose Rocks Torrey Pines: Stellar Round Delivers Commanding Lead!
Justin Rose once again delivered a superb performance on Saturday on the challenging South Course at Torrey Pines. With seven birdies and a 68 (-4), he secured a massive six-shot lead at the PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open.
The 45-year-old Englishman got off to a flying start and could not be denied even on the demanding back nine of Torrey Pines. After 54 holes, he stands at an incredible 21-under-par total of 195 strokes.
“I think that was the best round of the week from tee to green,” Rose commented confidently. No wonder, as he already has twelve US Tour titles to his name, including a victory in 2019 – right here at Torrey Pines. Now that's a statement!
At one point, Rose even held a commanding eight-shot lead! By the end of the day, however, there were still six shots separating him from American Joel Dahmen, who also carded a 68 with five birdies and just one bogey, placing him at 201 strokes. A really strong performance from Dahmen, but Rose was simply in a different league.
In third place, Japan's Ryo Hisatsune (68) and South Korea's Kim Si-woo (69) are tied at a total of 203 strokes. The competition was fierce there too!
Rose had already set a 36-hole tournament record at 17 under par and started the day with a four-shot lead. He seamlessly continued his performance, making a birdie on the 2nd hole by sticking his approach shot six feet from the pin. He repeated the feat on the 5th hole, starting a run of three consecutive birdies – on the 6th, he two-putted from 33 feet for birdie, and on the 7th, he again placed his approach shot very close to the flag. He's on a roll!
After another six-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole, Rose's lead stretched to eight strokes before being slowed down slightly by back-to-back bogeys on the 11th and 12th. Minor setbacks, but who doesn't have them? But the man knows how it's done: On the par-5 13th, he turned things around again and made a birdie, despite missing the green. He conjured a chip from the thick rough, from well below the green, to three feet from the pin. What a shot! Although he dropped another shot on the par-3 16th because he couldn't get up-and-down from a greenside bunker, he crowned his stellar round with a birdie on the par-5 18th. Hats off!
“Complacency? I don't know the word!” said Rose, looking ahead to Sunday. “You always have a healthy respect for the game of golf, knowing you need to perform your best again the next day.” That's mental strength, folks! “Someone can always go out and shoot a phenomenal round, so you also have to deliver a pretty good score on this golf course. That's my mentality.” He's right!
Speaking of comebacks: Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, who se
