Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Justin Rose carded a sizzling 65 on Friday to push his lead to four strokes at Torrey Pines, where Brooks Koepka made the cut in his PGA Tour return. England’s Rose followed up a 10-under first round on the North Course with an arguably more impressive seven-under effort on the tougher South Course, where he closed with back-to-back birdies to set a 36-hole tournament scoring record with a total of 17-under 127.
“That was two special rounds of golf, today probably even more so just given it’s hard to often follow up a low one,” said the 45-year-old, the 2013 US Open champion whose 12 PGA Tour titles include the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. “I felt like decision-making was spot on in terms of how I managed my game,” Rose said after a round that featured six birdies, an eagle, and one bogey.
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“Obviously every shot was not going to be perfect out there, but when I was in a little bit of trouble the putter would come through for me or I’d be disciplined when I was slightly out of position, really played for the fat of the green and gave myself a good two-putt opportunity from 40 feet.” Rose was four strokes in front of Ireland’s Seamus Power, who rebounded from his only bogey at his penultimate hole, the eighth, with an eagle at the ninth to post a six-under 66 for 131.
“A lot of good stuff,” Power said. “As well as I scored yesterday, it was more the putter and I knew I was a little off with the long game. So I was able to get that figured out after the round yesterday, so it felt much much better long game wise and the putter obviously was still there. So feeling really good going into tomorrow.” Power was two shots ahead of Americans Joel Dahmen and McMcGreevy. Dahmen had three eagles in his 63 and McGreevy signed for a 67 to join him on 11-under 133.
– Koepka makes cut – Five-time major winner Koepka, one of the highest-profile players to join LIV when the Saudi-backed renegade tour launched in 2022, was 14 off the pace but he’ll be playing the weekend in his first tournament back on the PGA Tour. Koepka hadn’t played a non-major PGA Tour event since the 2022 WGC Match Play and hadn’t played a competitive round in 14 weeks before posting a one-over 73 on Thursday — when he was heartened by the warm reception he received from fans.
On Friday he had an eagle and three birdies in a 68 to make the cut on the number at three-under 141. “It feels good,” Koepka said. “Just wanted to play four days this week, I think that was important. I think yesterday I was excited to play, nervous, and kind of didn’t know what to expect,” added Koepka, whose return to the PGA Tour was facilitated by a new program for returning players that includes limitations on eligibility for some top events as well as financial penalties.
“Today felt more normal,” he said. “I definitely still got antsy, maybe a little bit of nerves just trying to figure it out and see where my game’s at too.” Two-time major winner Xander Schauffele’s streak of 72 consecutive PGA Tour cuts made — the fifth-longest such streak in tour history — came to an end, the American’s three-under 69 leaving him one stroke shy of the weekend.
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