Eye of the Tiger: Rose builds 6-shot lead at Torrey

SAN DIEGO — Joel Dahmen arrived to the PGA Tour too late to see Tiger Woods in his prime at Torrey Pines. He was witness to what may need been the subsequent neatest thing Saturday — Justin Rose in command of his sport and making the remainder of the sector really feel hopeless within the Farmers Insurance coverage Open.

Rose stretched his result in as many as eight pictures in a efficiency Woods might recognize. He was slowed by a number of errors on the again 9 and wound up with a 4-under 68 to guide by six, the most important 54-hole lead on the event since Woods led by eight in 2008.

“I’ve loved taking part in the golf course this week. I need to proceed to benefit from the week as a complete,” Rose stated. “And yeah, it is one other nice spherical in good climate on an superior golf course.”

Rose began with a four-shot lead and pulled away with a chic three-hole stretch of birdies on the entrance 9 — a pitching wedge to a again pin to six ft on No. 5, a 7-wood to pin-high on the par-5 sixth and a 9-iron over a tree to five ft with the pin tucked proper over a bunker.

“He hit at some pins that I used to be very impressed at, however then they went to 4 ft and he tapped it in for birdie,” Dahmen stated. “You realize you are taking part in rather well once you’re doing that. And it was type of one after one other.”

However the seventh gap received his consideration, despite the fact that Rose sheepishly conceded he wasn’t making an attempt to be that aggressive.

“There isn’t any room to overlook it,” Dahmen stated. “The wind is beginning to puff off that canyon there so it all the time performs longer. So he is received to hit it excessive over the tree out of the primary minimize — it might fly, come out useless — and he hits this factor to the moon, it comes all the way down to 4 ft.

“You do not hit that shot in a follow spherical, not to mention when you’ve a six- or seven-shot lead on Saturday,” he stated. “At that time, that was simply type of like, ‘OK, you win.'”

Rose was at 21-under 195, breaking by three pictures the 54-hole event document he matched in 2019, sharing the mark with Kyle Stanley (2012), Woods (2008) and Woody Blackburn (1985). Stanley is the one one who did not go on to win, dropping a five-shot lead.

Rose has been round lengthy sufficient to take nothing as a right. And he was the beneficiary of Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 participant on the time, dropping a six-shot lead within the 2017 HSBC Champions.

“There’s by no means going to be any complacency,” Rose stated. “I believe there’s all the time sufficient respect for the sport of golf at the back of your thoughts that you have to do every little thing proper tomorrow. You are going to come out, must be centered, must play effectively.”

Woods virtually owned the general public course alongside the Pacific bluffs with eight skilled wins, together with the U.S. Open.

Brooks Koepka, in his return to the PGA Tour from Saudi-funded LIV Golf, performed a strong spherical aside from the quick putts. He turned a 3-foot par putt right into a double bogey on the par-3 eleventh, and he had a 3-foot birdie putt flip right into a bogey on the par-5 ninth, his last gap. He missed six putts inside 5 ft and shot 73.

“I’ve by no means felt snug on poa [bluegrass]. You simply miss a number of and you have zero confidence,” he stated. “I attempted to take the escape to nonetheless be aggressive like I usually am, however I wasn’t even hitting the outlet. I do not know, I am simply going to chalk it as much as only a dangerous day. However I am proud of every little thing else.”

Is it over?

“My solely hope is that if [Rose] would not set his alarm or he someway begins hitting within the tough on the again 9 perhaps,” Dahmen stated after his 68 that put him six behind, main the B-flight. “I do not know. The way in which he is taking part in and what he is doing, I’d be happy with second place.”

It is a massive week for Dahmen, who completed exterior the FedEx Cup high 100 within the yr the tour made that the cutoff for full playing cards. He has conditional standing and received into the Farmers Insurance coverage Open solely due to two programs permitting for a bigger subject.

He additionally has obtained a sponsor exemption into the WM Phoenix Open subsequent week, so it is a good time to assist flip his fortunes. A powerful Sunday would do wonders.

Rose, in the meantime, continues to take pleasure in what he as soon as known as his “Indian summer time.”

At age 45, he was the oldest participant by seven years on Europe’s profitable Ryder Cup staff. Even when requested — if Luke Donald declines a 3rd captaincy — Rose stated final week his focus can be on taking part in within the 2027 Ryder Cup.

A victory would transfer him as excessive as No. 4 on the earth rating.

“Justin is actually good at golf proper now,” Dahmen stated.