Justin Rose will carry a four-stroke lead into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open after posting a stellar 7-under-par 65 on Friday in San Diego.
Rose broke his own 36-hole record at the tournament by two shots at 17-under 127. After opening with a 62 on Torrey Pines’ North Course, he recorded the round of the day at the more challenging South Course with an eagle, six birdies and just one bogey.
The 45-year-old Englishman is continuing a career renaissance after he went to a playoff with Rory McIlroy at the 2025 Masters and won a FedEx Cup playoff event later that season.
“I feel like in my career I’ve won on tough golf courses generally, so that’s my M.O., I would say,” Rose said. “It’s the kind of a place I enjoy. It’s one of my favorite tournaments on Tour just the whole area, the whole atmosphere, the whole vibe.”
Irishman Seamus Power is alone in second at 13 under. After shooting the only 65 at the South Course on Thursday, he settled for a 66 at the North Course in the second round.
Joel Dahmen (63, North Course) and Max McGreevy (67, North Course) are tied for third at 11 under, and Si Woo Kim of South Korea (66, North Course) rounds out the top five at 10 under.
Everyone in the field played one round at each course, and those who made the 36-hole cut will spend the weekend on the South Course.
Rose recorded his eagle at the par-5 sixth hole after he landed his second shot inside 8 feet of the pin. He also ended his round with back-to-back birdies.
“Yeah, that was two special rounds of golf,” Rose said. “Today probably even more so just given it’s hard to often follow up a low one. Obviously this week you kind of go from the easy course to the tough course, but it was really kind of cool to keep momentum up out there.”
Power made easy work of the North Course and rolled in a long eagle putt at the par-5 ninth to finish his round.
“As well as I scored (Thursday), it was more the putter and I knew I was a little off with the long game,” Power said. “So I was able to get that figured out after the round yesterday, so it felt much, much better long-game wise and the putter obviously was still there. So feeling really good going into (Saturday).”
Brooks Koepka made the cut on the number at 3 under par in his first tournament back on the PGA Tour following nearly four years with LIV Golf. Koepka, like many, struggled on the South Course on Thursday but hit his stride on Friday with a 4-under 68 on the North Course, sinking an eagle putt at the par-5 17th.
“I think (Thursday) I was excited to play, nervous, and kind of didn’t know what to expect, but today felt more normal, I guess,” Koepka said.
“But yeah, I mean, don’t get me wrong, I definitely still got antsy, but I guess maybe a little bit of nerves, just trying to figure it out and test — see where my game’s at too, right? I feel like I’m playing really well. It’s just been a long layoff.”
Not everyone was as fortunate. Xander Schauffele’s consecutive cuts streak of 72 — the longest active on tour — came to an end as he finished 2 under for the week. He only managed a 69 at the North Course and missed a birdie putt to qualify on the number on his final hole, the par-5 ninth.
“It’s going to be nice to have the weekend off,” Schauffele quipped. “Going to go home and relax and regroup.”
Other big names who have the weekend off include Patrick Cantlay (2 under), Gary Woodland (1 under), Will Zalatoris (1 under), J.J. Spaun (even), Max Homa (1 over) and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (6 over). Max Greyserman, who began the day one shot off the lead, followed his opening 64 with a disastrous 78 at the South Course to miss the cut by a shot.
–Field Level Media
