Justin Rose builds dominant six-shot lead at Farmers Insurance Open

[p]The 45-year-old from England got off to a blistering start and held his nerve on Torrey's testing back nine to build a 54-hole total of 21-under par 195.[/p][p][b]"I thought that was the round of the week from tee to green anyway," [/b]said [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rose-justin/rR1fSdat/"]Rose[/a], whose 12 US tour titles include a 2019 triumph at Torrey.[/p][p]He led by as many as eight shots and finished the day six strokes in front of American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dahmen-joel/OUnK22s0/"]Joel Dahmen[/a], who had five birdies and a bogey in his 68 for 201.[/p][p]Japan's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hisatsune-ryo/bcC14WvA/"]Ryo Hisatsune[/a] and South Korea's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kim-si-woo/AVOmsy0G/"]Kim Si-woo[/a] shared third on 203, Hisatsune posting a 68 and Kim a 69.[/p][embed guid="55cb8b65-32c2-4d97-8153-a967c43195cf" url="https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/2017697415571054972?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Rose had set a 36-hole tournament record at 17-under par to start the day with a four-shot lead.[/p][p]He picked up right where he left off with a birdie at the second, sticking his approach six feet from the pin.[/p][p][b]He did the same at the fifth to launch a run of three straight birdies, two-putting from 33 feet at the sixth and landing his approach in tight again at the seventh.[/b][/p][p]Rose was leading by eight strokes after another six-foot birdie putt at the 10th before he was slowed by back-to-back bogeys at 11 and 12.[/p][p]He righted the ship with a birdie at the par-five 13th, where he missed the green but chipped to three feet from dense rough well below the green.[/p][h2]No complacency[/h2][p]He gave back a shot at the par-three 16th, where he was unable to get up and down from a greenside bunker, but punctuated his round with a birdie at the par-five 18th.[/p][p][b]"There's never going to be any complacency," [/b]Rose said of his mindset heading into Sunday. [b]"There's always enough respect for the game of golf in the back of your mind that you've got to do everything right tomorrow.[/b][/p][p][b]"Somebody can always really shoot a great round and therefore you've got to get around this golf course in a pretty decent score. That's the mentality."[/b][/p][embed guid="734f25ff-94f1-4a61-afe8-298878d8cda1" url="https://x.com/JustinRose99/status/2017754670312099954?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Five-time major winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koepka-brooks/t0xtKfZH/"]Brooks Koepka[/a], who battled to make the cut in his first non-major PGA Tour start since he defected to the renegade LIV golf circuit in 2022, carded a one-over par 73 to finish the day in a share of 61st on two-under 214.[/p][p]Koepka, one of the highest-profile players to jump to the divisive LIV league, announced in December that he would leave the Saudi-backed circuit, and his return to the PGA Tour was facilitated by a new program for returning players that includes limitations on eligibility for some top events as well as financial penalties.[/p][p]The US star again drew warm, supportive galleries, but his struggles on the greens included a double bogey at his second hole, the 11th, where he three-putted from four feet.[/p][p]He had five birdies on the day but closed with a three-putt bogey from three feet at 18.[/p][p][b]"You just miss a few and you've got zero confidence," [/b]Koepka said. [b]"I'm just going to chalk it up to just a bad day, but I'm happy with everything else."[/b][/p]