Justin Rose has a good feel about playing at Torrey Pines Golf Club, even with a few blips along the way in the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open.
Rose threatened to put a stranglehold on the tournament by shooting 3-under-par 69 on Saturday in San Diego.
The Englishman and world’s No. 1 player will carry a three-stroke lead on Australia’s Adam Scott going into Sunday’s final round on the South course. Rose is at 18-under 198 for the tournament.
“It puts more of a premium on ball striking, I think, which sort of does fit my profile,” Rose said of the South course. “Anytime there’s more of a favor to ball striking, it gives me more benefit.”
Because of Rose’s ability to hit certain spots, he was able to overcome some mistakes in the third round and still maintain a nice margin.
He entered the weekend atop the leaderboard after tying the tournament’s 36-hole record, and he kept pace by tying the 54-hole record Saturday. But his lead would be even more commanding if not for a few major errors.
Rose had a double-bogey on No. 4 after hitting his approach way left, but he got that back with an eagle on the ninth hole by rolling in a 20-footer from the fringe. He also had a double-bogey on No. 14, again hitting left and taking a penalty. But his rash of birdies was enough to maintain a steady lead, particularly when he got a stroke back on the par-3 16th.
Rose also took a bogey on the final hole after finding the water while trying to reach the par-5 green in two, taking his third penalty stroke of the round.
“It’s always tough to start my season here at Torrey Pines,” Rose said. “But the way I am striking the ball, I have confidence that I can attack a really difficult golf course.”
Scott used a 65 to move into second place at 15 under.
He got off to a blistering start, opening with a birdie before holing out from 103 yards at the par-4 second for an eagle. After a bogey at No. 4, he birdied four of the final five holes on the front nine to go out in 30, then cooled down on the back nine with a 35.
First-round leader Jon Rahm of Spain sits third after shooting 68. He’s at 14 under after a range of rounds, recovering from Friday’s 72.
Doug Ghim (67) made a move to fourth place, sitting at 13 under. He had birdies on three of the last six holes.
Ghim, 22, was the low amateur in last year’s Masters. He’s in this week’s tournament on a sponsor invitation.
Talor Gooch (67), like Rose, has posted three rounds at 69 or better. He’s in fifth place at 12 under, in front of a group of five players at 11 under that includes Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.
Tiger Woods shot 71 with an inconsistent round that included four birdies and three bogeys. He finished on the front side with three birdies across the final five holes.
Woods, who’s making his 2019 debut in this event, is at 5 under for the tournament. He managed just one birdie on the back nine Saturday.
“It’s frustrating because I’m hitting a lot of good putts and they’re just not going in,” Woods said.
Still, he left himself too many long putts by lacking crispness with his irons.
“I just didn’t quite have it with my iron game again,” Woods said.
Defending champion Jason Day of Australia will need a huge rally to repeat. He shot 69 on Saturday and sits at 9 under, though that’s just two strokes out of the top 10.