There’s a reason they call Torrey Pines “Tiger’s place.” The public course perched along the Pacific Bluffs has witnessed some of golf’s most dominant performances, and on Saturday, Justin Rose added his name to that exclusive list.
The 45-year-old Englishman stretched his lead to six shots with a 4-under 68 in the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open, reaching 21-under par and drawing comparisons to the eight-time champion who practically owns the property.
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“I thought that was the round of the week from tee to green,” Rose said after his round, and the numbers back him up. Through 54 holes, he’s hit 44 of 54 greens in regulation (81.48%) and needed just 1.50 putts per green in regulation, both tournament-leading marks that tell the story of a player in complete control.
A Stretch That Broke the Field
Rose began the day with a four-shot cushion and immediately went to work expanding it. The decisive blow came on a three-hole stretch that left playing partner Joel Dahmen shaking his head in admiration.
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On the par-5 fifth, Rose stuck a pitching wedge to six feet for birdie. On the sixth, he crushed a 7-wood from 252 yards to 30 feet for a two-putt birdie. Then came the shot that made Dahmen concede defeat.
With a back-right pin on the seventh, tucked behind a bunker with no room for error, Rose launched a 9-iron from the first cut that climbed high over the trees and settled four feet from the cup.
“You don’t hit that shot in a practice round, let alone when you have a six- or seven-shot lead on Saturday,” Dahmen said. “At that point, that was just kind of like, OK, you win.”
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The Wobble That Wasn’t
Rose’s round wasn’t flawless. Back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12 gave Dahmen and Seamus Power a glimmer of hope. But standing in deep rough on the par-5 13th, able to see only the top of the flagstick, Rose produced the kind of shot that separates champions from contenders. His pitch rolled out to tap-in range for birdie, immediately restoring order.
“There’s never going to be any complacency,” Rose said when asked about protecting his lead. “I think there’s always enough respect for the game of golf in the back of your mind that you’ve got to do everything right tomorrow.”
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Dahmen’s Quiet Excellence
While Rose commanded the spotlight, Dahmen quietly assembled his own impressive round. His 68 matched Rose’s score and left him alone in second place at 15-under, though he admitted it feels like leading the B-flight.
For Dahmen, who finished outside the top 100 in last year’s FedExCup standings and is playing on conditional status, the week represents a potential career reset. He only got into the field because the two-course format allows for more players.
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“I can’t really play better than 68, honestly,” Dahmen said. “There’s just not many birdies on the back nine for me.”
His 5-iron into the 16th was the highlight, riding the wind to set up a crucial birdie. But he knows Sunday’s task borders on impossible.
“My only hope is if he doesn’t set his alarm or he somehow starts hitting in the rough on the back nine, maybe,” Dahmen joked.
The Indian Summer Continues
Rose has called this phase of his career his “Indian summer,” and at 45, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. He was the oldest player by seven years on Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team and has already stated his focus is on playing in the 2027 matches, not captaining them.
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A victory Sunday would vault him to as high as No. 4 in the world ranking. No player has ever lost a lead larger than five shots at Torrey Pines, though Rose knows better than most how quickly things can change. He once benefited from Dustin Johnson’s stunning collapse in Shanghai.
But with the way he’s striking the ball and rolling the putts, Rose looks poised to add a second Farmers Insurance Open title to the one he captured here in 2019.
Related: Justin Rose’s Torrey Pines Masterclass: Breaking Down a Historic 36-Hole Performance
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Golf section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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