Justin Rose celebrates six-shot lead after third-round 68 at Farmers Insurance Open, Torrey Pines.
Justin Rose celebrates six-shot lead after third-round 68 at Farmers Insurance Open, Torrey Pines.
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Justin Rose holds six-shot lead after third round at Farmers Insurance Open

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Justin Rose shot a 4-under 68 in the third round of the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, extending his lead to six shots over Joel Dahmen heading into Sunday. The 45-year-old Englishman reached 21 under par, matching his winning score from 2019, with birdies offsetting late bogeys. Brooks Koepka struggled with putting in his PGA Tour return, finishing at 2 under.

Justin Rose delivered a strong performance on Saturday at Torrey Pines South Course, starting the third round with a four-shot lead and quickly pulling ahead. He birdied the par-5 fifth with a pitching wedge to 6 feet, followed by a 5-wood from 252 yards to 30 feet on the sixth for a two-putt birdie, and then stuck an approach to 5 feet on the seventh, stretching his advantage to eight shots at 21 under par.

Rose encountered turbulence on the back nine, bogeying the 11th and 12th after loose swings and poor chips, dropping temporarily to 20 under. He rebounded with a birdie on the par-5 13th, pitching out from rough to tap-in range, and closed with another birdie on 18 from an 81-yard approach to 3 feet. His total of 195 was the second-largest 54-hole lead in tournament history, behind Tiger Woods' eight-shot mark in 2008.

"Today I played well, gave myself a lot of chances," Rose said. "I thought that was the round of the week from tee to green." At 45, Rose, the oldest player on Europe's 2023 Ryder Cup-winning team, eyes his 13th PGA Tour win and a potential rise to No. 4 in the world rankings.

Joel Dahmen fired a 68 to reach 15 under, solo second after birdies on 10, 16, and 18, including a 40-footer on 10. The nine-year TOUR veteran, who entered as a fifth alternate with conditional status after finishing 93rd in the 2025 FedExCup, called it "just golf" but noted its importance for his career. "It's my livelihood, it's how I take care of my family," Dahmen said.

Seamus Power faltered with three straight bogeys, tying for third at 13 under with Ryo Hisatsune and Si Woo Kim. Stephan Jaeger posted the day's low 65, jumping to 11 under. Brooks Koepka, back on the PGA Tour after LIV Golf, shot 73 with putting woes, including a double bogey on 11 and a three-putt bogey on 9, ending at 2 under. "Game feels good," Koepka said, "but my putting is probably last in the field."

No one has lost a lead larger than five shots at Torrey Pines, positioning Rose favorably for a wire-to-wire victory and a record-tying or bettering score.

What people are saying

Discussions on X praise Justin Rose's dominant third-round performance at the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open, extending his lead to six shots at 21-under par, drawing comparisons to Tiger Woods. Joel Dahmen, solo second, humorously conceded Rose's superiority, expressing hope only for mishaps like oversleeping, while highlighting his own impressive comeback. Users express awe at Rose's consistency and Dahmen's resilience, with minor notes on Brooks Koepka's putting woes; sentiments are overwhelmingly positive for Rose with skeptical realism from challengers.

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