Justin Rose: Farmers Insurance Open win for world number one
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Victory was Justin Rose's 10th win on the PGA Tour
Farmers Insurance Open, final leaderboard |
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-21 J Rose (Eng); -19 A Scott (Aus); -16 H Matsuyama (Jpn), T Gooch (US); -14 J Day (Aus), R McIlroy (NI), J Rahm (Spa); -13 B Horschel (US); -12 G Woodland (US), C Smith (Aus) |
Selected others: -11 P Reed (US); -10 T Woods (US), -9 D Willett (Eng); -5 R Knox (Sco) |
Full leaderboard, external (external site) |
World number one Justin Rose held off the challenge of Adam Scott to win the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines by two shots from the Australian
The Englishman had three bogeys in his opening five holes but played the last 12 in five under to card a three-under 69 and win on 21 under.
Scott birdied the last four holes to shoot a 68 and finish second.
Rory McIlroy (69) finished seven shots off the lead in a tie for fifth while Tiger Woods (67) was four further back.
American Woods, who has won this event in San Diego a record seven times and also claimed the 2008 US Open title at the course - the last of his 14 major wins - was never in contention throughout the week but finished with five birdies in his final nine holes to climb to 10 under.
Rose starts 2019 in fine form
The 38-year-old was making his first appearance of 2019 and took a three-shot lead over Scott into the final round.
He bogeyed the first but recovered that shot with a birdie on the third before bogeys on the fourth and fifth gave his rivals hope.
However, Scott could not take advantage, bogeying the fifth, while Spain's Jon Rahm, who started the day four back, also parred eight of the first nine holes and his solitary birdie on the sixth was cancelled out by a bogey on the 11th as he closed with a 72 to drop away.
Rose birdied the seventh and ninth to reach the turn level for the day and holed three more birdies on the back nine to take the title.
"I haven't won in January since about 2002, so this feels great," said the 2013 US Open champion.
"I am really happy. I challenged the status quo and changed everything up in the search to try to get better."
Rose, who switched golf club brands at the end of last year, won with new caddie Gareth Lord on his bag for just the second time, with his regular caddie Mark Fulcher recovering from heart surgery.
"I felt comfortable with the way I drove the ball this week on a tough test," added Rose.
"A whole new look for me. But I don't mind it, if it is going to produce this golf."
The victory secured Rose a 10th US PGA Tour title and his first win since the Turkish Airlines Open on the European Tour in November.
"He's the number one player in the world, and he's showing why," Scott said. "Even when he was a little off, he kept it together."