The opening round of the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open delivered low scoring and early drama as Justin Rose stormed out to the lead, firing a sensational 10-under-par 62 to grab the first-round advantage at Torrey Pines. With conditions firm and fast but scoring still accessible for players dialed in with their irons and putters, Rose’s round featured multiple birdies and a sustained hot streak that put him well clear of the field on Thursday.
“Obviously delighted to kind of go out there and make the most of a perfect day,” Rose said. “I mean, it was just such an enjoyable round of golf. You know, great views. It’s one of my favorite venues on Tour. It’s been a spotty venue for me through the years, I feel like I’ve either played great or not here, so nice to get off to a good start. North Course clearly is one that you want to try to make the most of and it’s great to do that today for sure.”
A Packed Leaderboard
Behind Rose’s exceptional opening round, the leaderboard features a mix of established names and rising challengers. Justin Lower sits one back at -9, and tied just behind are Max Greyserman and Hideki Matsuyama (both at -8).
“If I’m being really truthful with everyone, my mind’s not really here,” Lower said. “My wife is 34 weeks pregnant with twins and I’m just trying to get home on Monday to try to help everything out as much as I can. Luckily we have family close and everything. Yeah, she’s going through it right now. Life’s about to get real if it wasn’t real already.”
Other players in the early mix include Maverick McNealy, Stephan Jaeger, and Seamus Power each at -7, while Mark Hubbard, Max McGreevy, and local favorite Sahith Theegala checked in at -6 to round out the leaders.
Brooks Koepka’s Return Brings Cheers
One of the biggest storylines of Round 1 wasn’t just who scored well, but who was playing. Brooks Koepka, making his first non-major start back on the PGA Tour since 2022, returned to competitive action with a 1-over-par 73.
Koepka’s opening day was a mix of rust and promise. Battling a South Course that tests ball-striking and patience, he found trouble early with a fairway bunker that led to a bogey on No. 4, and another dropped shot on the long 13th. Still, Koepka finished the day strong, carding a birdie at the tough par-5 18th after a savvy pitch and confident putt.
More than the score, though, Koepka’s return drew genuine cheers from the Torrey Pines crowd, testimony to fans’ warm reception after his 3 1/2-year absence following a stint with LIV Golf. The five-time major champion acknowledged some nerves and a few missed opportunities, but noted that being back in PGA Tour competition started to feel right as the round went on.
“[I was nervous] just because I care,” Koepka said. “I think I’ve fallen back in love with the game. And honestly, watching my son play a little bit and wanting to be able to see him watch me, or I guess want him to watch me play well and realize how much this game’s given me, how fun it is and how cool it is to just be out here.”
Course and Coverage
Torrey Pines features a unique combined 36-hole format for the first two rounds, with half the field playing the South Course and the other half the North Course on Thursday (and switching Friday). That split adds nuance to early leaderboard positions because course rotation and weather can influence scoring rates.
“I think often depends on the weather, right? If you have a really windy day on a Thursday or a Friday, that can really make one of the courses play a bit different to the other,” Rose said. “I think we’ve got pretty similar weather for the first two days, so obviously it’s about going out and trying to put two rounds together and see where you sort of fall going into the weekend.
“But I hope the weekend gets harder, I hope it gets firm, I hope it gets tough, you know, because this golf course kind of suits that. You’ve got to be very strategic and, you know, hopefully if you’re playing good golf, that will suit me.”
Broadcast coverage for this historic week has also stepped up, especially with Koepka’s return drawing broader interest. ESPN’s main channel will televise early rounds live, with Disney+ and Hulu providing streaming access alongside traditional PGA Tour coverage from the Golf Channel, giving fans more ways to follow the action than normal for a regular Tour stop.
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