Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Justin Rose conjured a bogey-free 10-under par 62 to grab the first-round lead at Torrey Pines, where Brooks Koepka showed signs of rust but basked in a warm welcome on his return to the PGA Tour on Thursday.
Five-time major winner Koepka’s return — after he jumped ship to the divisive Saudi-backed LIV Golf league that rocked the global game — had dominated the build-up to the Farmers’ Insurance Open. Koepka, who hadn’t played a non-major PGA Tour event since the 2022 WGC Match Play, carded a one-over par 73 on Torrey Pines’ South Course, where he said his reception from fans helped quell his first-tee nerves.
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“I just cared about my perception, what people thought or what the fans thought,” Koepka said. “It’s easy when you’re around the players and they come and talk to you or you talk to them, or caddies or people around here, but everybody else, I wasn’t sure.”
In the end, he said, the fans were “awesome.” “It was very cool to hear ‘welcome back,’ it was pretty much every hole.” Playing the tougher of two courses in use over the first two rounds, Koepka found a fairway bunker on the way to a bogey at the fourth and dropped another shot at the 13th. He made his lone birdie of the day at the par-five 18th, where his second shot went through the green but he chipped to eight feet and made the putt.
“I felt like it was pretty good,” Koepka said, noting he hadn’t played a competitive round in 14 weeks. “I struck it really well. I didn’t hit enough fairways …didn’t really make any putts besides 18 right there. It’s been a while since I played competitive golf, so I like the way I’m playing, I just need to kind of play my way into it.”
Koepka’s move back to the PGA Tour, which had banned players that jumped to LIV, comes under a new returning member program that includes limitations on eligibility for some top events, and a five-year forfeiture of rights to participate in the PGA’s player equity program. Koepka, who is also making a $5 million charitable donation as one of the conditions of his reinstatement, said the speed at which the puzzle pieces fell in place had “kind of blown my mind.”
“I’m just grateful to be out here and have a chance to compete with these guys,” he said. He’ll need to go low on Friday to have a chance to make the cut.
– Rose ‘good enough’ – Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, torched the North Course with 10 birdies, just missing an 11th at his final hole, the par-five ninth, that would have given him the course record. “It’s funny how you can walk off frustrated for sure,” said Rose, who said he second-guessed himself on the tricky birdie putt.
“But, listen, I made my share out there today. My process was fantastic. I feel like I managed my game really, really well today. I didn’t feel like I played perfect golf so it’s a good reminder that you don’t always have to play perfect golf but it was good enough,” added Rose, who was one stroke in front of American Justin Lower.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama picked up five strokes in his last five holes with an eagle and three birdies to grab a share of third on eight-under 64, tied with American Max Greyserman. Ireland’s Seamus Power had the round of the day on the South Course, carding a seven-under 65 to share fifth place alongside Germany’s Stephan Jaeger and American Maverick McNealy.
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