Age is but a number for Justin Rose who, at 45, added the Farmers Insurance Open to his impressive career CV, but still with eyes on perhaps completing the career Grand Slam.
Where others – Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson – have claimed three of the four Majors with only one missing piece respectively to complete, Rose’s task is much harder in that he has so far only won one Major, the US Open in Merion in 2013.
Rose has knocked on the door in the Masters (twice a runner-up, most recently losing a play-off to Rory McIlroy last year as the Northern Irishman completed his own Grand Slam) and The Open (where he has also been a two-time runner-up).
“The Majors is where I have my attention, for sure. I’ve achieved a lot in the game, but I’ve achieved a lot of it just once,” admitted Rose. “So I’ll take multiple of anything that I’ve achieved for sure would be great. But if I look at my career, I’ve been really close to the Open, I’ve been really close to the Masters.
“The dream of winning all four was obviously the ultimate goal since I’ve been a kid. But it seems a long way off to think that way, but if you think about some of the results I’ve had in the last year or 18 months, I’m not that far away so may as well keep believing,” added Rose, who rose to third in the world rankings following his success in San Diego.
Time out of kilter for Tom McKibbin
How fast did that year go? Tom McKibbin is back in the desert this week, marking his first-year anniversary since teeing up on the LIV circuit. And the Northern Irishman – who has earned spots in the Masters and The Open on the back of his Hong Kong Open win on the Asian Tour last November – is ready for the “weird” timelines associated with playing late-night floodlit golf for the LIV season opener in Saudi Arabia.
“It’s weird getting up at 9.30, 10 in the morning and going to bed very, very late. Sleep patterns are weird. Eating dinner at midnight is weird. Everything is weird,” said McKibbin of adjusting to the timelines for this particular tournament in Riyadh.
As for looking forward to a second season on the PIF-backed circuit, playing on a team alongside Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, McKibbin remarked: “Obviously last year was a very successful year, I think sort of individually and as a team, it couldn’t get much better. I think this year I’m definitely a little bit more relaxed, albeit it’s been a long time since we last played. I’m looking forward to it.”
Ireland’s Séamus Power plays a shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open 2026 on Sunday. Photograph: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images Word of Mouth
“My body feels great now, a full off-season of work really does make a big difference. I noticed that. I feel like my equipment’s dialled in, ready to go. I feel like everything’s kind of ready to go, which I haven’t been the last couple of years. Honestly, like, the PGA Tour is a tough place. If you don’t have it coming out of the gate, you’re trying to find it on the road, it is tough.” – Séamus Power on being fit and strong again after a couple of years battling hip and back issues. Power has finished 31st (Sony Open), 63rd (American Express) and 11th (Farmers Insurance Open) in his opening three events of the season on the PGA, currently 31st on the FedEx Cup standings.
By the Numbers: 1+5+1
Pádraig Harrington – playing on his legends category – is the only Irish player in the field for this week’s Qatar Masters in Doha on the DP World Tour.
A quintet of Irish players – James Sugrue, Conor Purcell, Gary Hurley, Liam Nolan and Max Kennedy – are competing in the Cape Town Open, a dual sanctioned event on the Hotelplanner Tour and the Sunshine Tour.
Tom McKibbin moves back to LIV after a couple of early season appearances on the DP World Tour for this week’s opening event in Riyadh.
On this day: February 3rd, 1991
Paul Azinger won the AT&T Pebble Beach – which he said was probably the “dead last” place he’d expected to win, given his past history in the tournament – for a seventh career win on the PGA Tour but confessed much of this thoughts were in another part of the world, due to the Gulf War at that time.
Coincidentally, US president George Bush had declared that Sunday of the tournament’s final round a national day of prayer and Azinger – brought up in a military family, his father being a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force – admitted after his win:
“I was thinking about the troops all day. It really puts things in perspective for you. I was kind of nervous playing in a golf tournament and, at the same time, I’m thinking about those guys over there and what they’re trying to accomplish, putting their lives on the line.”
Zinger shot a final-round 67 for a total of 14-under-par 274 for a four strokes winning margin over Brian Claar and Corey Pavin, earning a pay-day of $198,000.
“There’s a lot of history here [at Pebble Beach]. It will always be the [Bing] Crosby in a lot of people’s minds,” said Azinger, who had previously struggled to be competitive in the tournament.
Social Swing
“So what’s our take on LPGA cancelling events to 54 holes? I’m sure there are valid reasons to an extent but in comparison, the PGA, while it seems to be their LAST resort, it seems to be LPGA’s FIRST option. Thoughts? No shade just genuinely curious on other people’s thoughts.” – LPGA Tour player Danielle Kang unimpressed by the decision to reduced the season-opening Tournament of Champions, which went to Nelly Korda with no play on Sunday.
“I will not be able to participate in the first two LIV Events as Amy and I need to be present for a family health matter. I can’t wait to compete again and look forward to rejoining my teammates as soon as possible. In the meantime, Ollie Schniederjans will step in for me in Riyadh as I root on HyFlyers GC from afar.” – Phil Mickelson with genuine reason for missing out the start of the LIV season in Saudi Arabia.
“Nobody from England has won more times on the PGA TOUR than @JustinRose 99.” – The DP World Tour social media bigging up Justin Rose’s 13th win on the US circuit, four ahead of Nick Faldo’s nine and eight ahead of third-placed English player Luke Donald’s five.
Know the Rules
Q: In stroke play, a player has interference to their stance from an immovable obstruction. They determine their nearest point of complete relief using a 5-iron (as that is the club he would have used had the immovable obstruction not been there) and drops the ball within one club-length of that point, no nearer the hole. The ball settles down in the rough, so the player changes club and plays the ball out on to the fairway with a sand wedge. What is the ruling?
A: There is no penalty. Once the ball is dropped, it is back in play. The player must then decide what type of stroke they will make. This stroke, which includes the choice of club, may be different from the one that would have been made from the ball’s original spot had the condition not been there.
In the Bag: Justin Rose (Farmers Insurance Open)
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max (9 degrees)
3-wood: TaylorMade M6 (15 degrees)
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (21 degrees)
Irons: Miura TC-502 (4 and 5), Miura MC-502 (6-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52, 56 and 60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom T-5 prototype
Ball: Titleist ProV1x