LOS ANGELES,:
Justin Rose carded a scorching 65 on Friday to push his result in 4 strokes at Torrey Pines, the place Brooks Koepka made the lower in his PGA Tour return.
England’s Rose adopted up a 10-under first spherical on the North Course with an arguably extra spectacular seven-under effort on the harder South Course, the place he closed with back-to-back birdies to set a 36-hole event scoring file with a complete of 17-under 127.
“That was two particular rounds of golf, at the moment most likely much more so simply given it is arduous to usually comply with up a low one,” mentioned the 45-year-old, the 2013 US Open champion whose 12 PGA Tour titles embody the 2019 Farmers Insurance coverage Open at Torrey Pines.
“I felt like decision-making was spot on by way of how I managed my recreation,” Rose mentioned after a spherical that featured six birdies, an eagle and one bogey.
“Clearly each shot was not going to be excellent on the market, however once I was in a bit little bit of bother the putter would come by for me or I might be disciplined once I was barely out of place, actually performed for the fats of the inexperienced and gave myself two-putt alternative from 40 toes.”
Rose was 4 strokes in entrance of Eire’s Seamus Energy, who rebounded from his solely bogey at his penultimate gap, the eighth, with an eagle on the ninth to put up a six-under 66 for 131.
“A variety of great things,” Energy mentioned. “In addition to I scored yesterday, it was extra the putter and I knew I used to be a bit off with the lengthy recreation.
“So I used to be capable of get that discovered after the spherical yesterday, so it felt a lot significantly better lengthy recreation smart and the putter clearly was nonetheless there. So feeling actually good going into tomorrow.”
Energy was two photographs forward of Individuals Joel Dahmen and McMcGreevy. Dahmen had three eagles in his 63 and McGreevy signed for a 67 to affix him on 11-under 133.
Koepka makes lower
5-time main winner Koepka, one of many highest-profile gamers to affix LIV when the Saudi-backed renegade tour launched in 2022, was 14 off the tempo however he’ll be enjoying the weekend in his first event again on the PGA Tour.
Koepka hadn’t performed a non-major PGA Tour occasion because the 2022 WGC Match Play and hadn’t performed a aggressive spherical in 14 weeks earlier than posting a one-over 73 on Thursday — when he was heartened by the nice and cozy reception he obtained from followers.
On Friday he had an eagle and three birdies in a 68 to make the lower on the quantity at three-under 141.
“It feels good,” Koepka mentioned. “Simply wished to play 4 days this week, I believe that was essential.
“I believe yesterday I used to be excited to play, nervous, and sort of did not know what to anticipate,” added Koepka, whose return to the PGA Tour was facilitated by a brand new program for returning gamers that features limitations on eligibility for some high occasions in addition to monetary penalties.
“At present felt extra regular,” he mentioned. “I positively nonetheless bought antsy, possibly a bit little bit of nerves simply attempting to determine it out and see the place my recreation’s at too.”
Two-time main winner Xander Schauffele’s streak of 72 consecutive PGA Tour cuts made — the fifth-longest such streak in tour historical past — got here to an finish, the American’s three-under 69 leaving him one stroke shy of the weekend.
