Rose takes the title at Torrey Pines

Justin Rose held off the challenge of Adam Scott to win the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines by two shots.

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.

Rose, who was making his first appearance of 2019, took a three-shot lead over Scott into the final round. He bogeyed the first, but recovered 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 was playing with a new Honma driver, irons and wedges
Rose was playing with a new Honma driver, irons and wedges

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 Rose. “I am really happy. I challenged the status quo and changed everything up in the search to try to get better.”

Rose, who switched from playing TaylorMade clubs to Japanese brand Honma 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.”


JUSTIN ROSE’S WINNING CLUBS
Driver: Honma Tour World TW747 460 (9.5°)
Fairway wood: TaylorMade M4 (15°)
Irons: Honma Tour World TW-X proto (2), Honma Tour World Rose proto (4-9)
Wedges: Honma Rose proto (47°, 52°, 56°), Titleist Vokey SM7 Raw (60°)
Putter: Axis prototype
Ball: TaylorMade TP5