[Photo: Orlando Ramirez]
There wasn’t a lot of drama, but there was plenty of history for Justin Rose, who took the Farmers Insurance Open in a wire-to-wire runaway for his 13th win on the PGA Tour. The victory marked the first time a player led stat to finish in the event since Tommy Bolt in 1955 when the tournament was contested at Mission Valley Country Club and known simply as the San Diego Open. That’s 71 years ago.
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In many ways, that’s fitting. Rose won in more of an old-fashioned way than the more prevalent custom of overpowering of the course. Instead, Rose won with accurate driving, remarkably precise iron play and reliable putting.
Rose was on point into the greens, ranking second in strokes gained/approach and first in greens in regulation with a split set of Miura irons, using the company’s TC-502 in the 4 and 5-irons and the MC-502 in the 6-iron through pitching wedge. Rose’s irons all have KBS C-Taper 125 S+ steel shafts.
Those irons were helpful in banging down flagsticks and building a bit lead. In fact, 12 of Rose’s 14 birdie and eagle putts made in rounds two and three were inside 10 feet. The close approaches help explain how the Englishman ranked 33rd in feet of putts made but first in putts per green in regulation.
Locked in, Rose wasn’t worried about losing focus on the final day. “There’s never going to be any complacency,” he said. “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. You’re going to come out, have to be focused, have to play well.”
A final-round 70 achieved all that, snapped a 71-year mark and set the tournament scoring record in the process.
What Justin Rose had in the bag at the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open:
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max, Mitsubishi Diamana WB 63 TX, 8.5 degrees
3-wood: TaylorMade M6, 15 degrees
7-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D, 21 degrees
Irons (4-5): Miura TC-502; (6-PW): Miura MC-502
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10 (52, 56, 60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 5 Tour Prototype
