Justin Rose fired a 62 in the first round and followed with a 65 to lead the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open at 17 under par after 36 holes, setting a tournament record. Brooks Koepka made his PGA Tour return after leaving LIV Golf, scraping through the cut at 3 under with a second-round 68. Several big names, including Xander Schauffele, missed the cut as the field heads to the weekend at Torrey Pines.
The 2026 Farmers Insurance Open kicked off at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California, with players split between the easier North Course and the challenging South Course for the first two rounds. Englishman Justin Rose, 45, dominated early, carding a bogey-free 10-under 62 on the North Course Thursday, highlighted by 10 birdies. He transitioned seamlessly to the tougher South Course Friday, posting a 7-under 65 with birdies on the final two holes, including a precise wedge to two feet on the par-5 18th. This effort gave him a four-shot lead over Seamus Power at 13 under and established a new 36-hole tournament record at 17 under.
"I'm feeling great. 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."
Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, returning to the PGA Tour after nearly four years with LIV Golf, started with a 1-over 73 on the South Course Thursday, making his first birdie on the 18th amid a warm fan reception. "The fans were awesome," Koepka said. "It was very cool to hear 'welcome back.'" On Friday's North Course, he rallied with a birdie on 14, an eagle on 17, and birdies on 5 and 7 for a 4-under 68, finishing at 3 under to make the cut on the number. "It's huge. I wanted to be here all four days," he added, noting his renewed love for the game inspired by his son.
The cut fell at 3 under, eliminating notables like Xander Schauffele, who ended his 72-consecutive-cut streak (tied for fifth-longest in PGA Tour history) at 2 under due to equipment tweaks. "Kind of had some last minute tweaks to equipment and it really affected me," Schauffele explained. Others missing out included Patrick Cantlay (-2), Max Homa (+1), and Ludvig Åberg (+6). Contenders like Joel Dahmen surged with a 9-under 63 featuring three eagles to reach 11 under.
The weekend rounds shift exclusively to the South Course, where Rose's strong iron play (fourth in strokes gained approach) and putting position him as the favorite for his second Farmers title and 13th PGA Tour win. Koepka, 14 shots back, aims to build momentum ahead of the WM Phoenix Open.
