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Justin Rose shot a 10-under 62 on the North Course at Torrey Pines to lead the Farmers Insurance Open, and Brooks Koepka opened with a 73 to make a low-key return to the PGA Tour.
Rose had 10 birdies but no answers, leaving the 45-year-old one shot ahead of American Justin Lower, whose wife is 34 weeks pregnant with twins.
“It was fun, I felt like I managed my game very, very well today,” Ryder Cup star Rose told the PGA Tour website. “I felt like I read the greens really well and the putting was really, really good as you can see.
“But I wouldn’t say it felt like it was on full cruise control – nothing unusual, but there are times when you’re shooting 10 under and every shot goes as you see it, as you want it to, and I probably only shot three or four today that I felt exactly like I planned.
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Justin Rose reflects on his performance after day one of the Farmers Insurance Open.
“But it’s a great game of golf and the North Course is a course that you feel like you should be able to get into, but it’s actually grown some teeth over the years.
“You’ve got to play well, you’ve got to hit the ball in the tournament, and I did a pretty good job at that. I got momentum when I needed it, hit weird good irons, hit weird 20-footers, and before you know it, you’re five, six, seven under.”
The better results all occurred on the North Course, with Irish player Seamus Power shooting 65, 7 under par, setting the lowest score on the South Course and tying for fifth place.
After Koepka agreed to be released from his contract with the breakout LIV Golf Series in Saudi Arabia a year early at the end of the 2025 season, the PGA Tour then launched a hastily crafted return membership plan to get the five-time major champion back.
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Brooks Koepka reflects on his first day back on the PGA Tour after leaving LIV Golf.
Koepka, who will join LIV in 2022, started on the South Course, lost the ball after three shots on the fourth hole, and failed to make a birdie when entering the turn with a high shot on the ninth hole.
Koepka hit his shot over the green on the par-5 13th, resulting in another bogey, then narrowly missed a birdie chance on the par-3 16th before hitting his fourth shot on the final hole to go into the round with a one-shot lead.
“I fell in love with the game all over again,” Koepka told reporters. “Watching my son play, hopefully being able to see him watch me play well and realize how much this game has given me and how much fun it is.
“It was so cool to hear ‘Welcome back’ … almost every hole.”
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Tony Finau made a stunning hole-in-one at the California Farmers Insurance Open on the 16th.
Elsewhere, Tony Finau of the Torrey Pines South Course scored his first hole-in-one of the PGA Tour season on Thursday on the par-3 16th hole.
It was Finau’s fourth hole-in-one in 285 starts on Tour and first since the second round of the 2025 Valero Texas Open.
Who will win the Farmers Insurance Open? Watch live on Sky Sports all week long. Sky Sports Golf continues with early coverage from 5pm on Friday, with full coverage from 8pm. Get Sky Sports or NOW live broadcast without contract.
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