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 might need been the subsequent neatest thing Saturday — Justin Rose in command of his recreation 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 may admire. He was slowed by just a few errors on the again 9 and wound up with a 4-under 68 to steer by six, the biggest 54-hole lead on the match since Woods led by eight in 2008.
“I’ve loved enjoying the golf course this week. I need to proceed to benefit from the week as an entire,” 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 elegant three-hole stretch of birdies on the entrance 9 — a pitching wedge to a again pin to six toes on No. 5, a 7-wood to pin-high on the par-5 sixth and a 9-iron over a tree to five toes 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 toes and he tapped it in for birdie,” Dahmen stated. “You already know you are enjoying rather well while you’re doing that. And it was sort of one after one other.”
However the seventh gap received his consideration, although Rose sheepishly conceded he wasn’t making an attempt to be that aggressive.
“There is not any room to overlook it,” Dahmen stated. “The wind is beginning to puff off that canyon there so it at all times performs longer. So he is received to hit it excessive over the tree out of the primary minimize — it may fly, come out lifeless — and he hits this factor to the moon, it comes right down to 4 toes.
“You do not hit that shot in a follow spherical, not to mention when you have got a six- or seven-shot lead on Saturday,” he stated. “At that time, that was simply sort of like, ‘OK, you win.'”
Rose was at 21-under 195, breaking by three pictures the 54-hole match 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 with no consideration. 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 at all times 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, need to be targeted, need to play nicely.”
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 stable spherical aside from the brief 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 remaining gap. He missed six putts inside 5 toes and shot 73.
“I’ve by no means felt snug on poa [bluegrass]. You simply miss just a few and you have got 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 opening. I do not know, I am simply going to chalk it as much as only a unhealthy 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 in some way 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 best way he is enjoying 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 prime 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 discipline.
He additionally has acquired 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 get pleasure from what he as soon as known as his “Indian summer season.”
At age 45, he was the oldest participant by seven years on Europe’s profitable Ryder Cup workforce. Even when requested — if Luke Donald declines a 3rd captaincy — Rose stated final week his focus could be on enjoying within the 2027 Ryder Cup.
A victory would transfer him as excessive as No. 4 on the planet rating.
“Justin is admittedly good at golf proper now,” Dahmen stated.
