Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour was the headline getting into the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open, and after a livid end on Friday, he discovered his approach into the weekend with a 68 to make the cut on the quantity.
Struggling on the harder South Course on Thursday on his approach to a 73, Koepka wanted to reap the benefits of the simpler North Course on Friday if he was going to claw his approach inside the cut line. He seemed to be trending the suitable route after beginning on the again 9, making a birdie on No. 14 and an eagle on No. 17 to maneuver to 2 underneath, which was the projected cut at the time.
However, his momentum got here to a halt with a pair of merciless lip-outs on Nos. 2 and three that dropped him again to 1 underneath for the event, and Koepka entered his last six holes of Friday with critical work to do to earn his approach into the weekend as the projected cut line moved as much as 3 underneath.
A birdie on the par-5 fifth bought him again in vary, and he added one other birdie on the par-4 seventh to get onto the cut line at 3 underneath. He was in a position to scramble for par from the greenside bunker on No. 8 after which make the two-putt par he wanted on No. 9 to earn his approach into the weekend in his first PGA Tour occasion in 4 years.
After his spherical, Koepka mentioned, given the best way he hit it on Friday, a 68 felt just like the worst-case state of affairs, however he simply could not get putts to drop to essentially push it deep.
“I thought I played pretty well. I hit a lot of good putts that burnt the edge. I feel like it could’ve been — I guess 68 was kind of the worst I could’ve shot today,” Koepka mentioned. “It very easily could’ve been 64, 65 if a few putts dropped, but that’s golf. Sometimes on poa [greens], I felt the speed wasn’t quite aggressive enough. I feel like that side might be a hair slower than the South. Got two more rounds to play, which I’m excited about, and it’s gonna be a tough golf course — except for, I don’t know which one Rosey’s playing.”
While Koepka will not possible discover his approach into rivalry for the win this weekend, as he’ll begin the third spherical 14 pictures off chief Justin Rose’s blistering tempo, it is nonetheless a stable begin to his PGA Tour return.
Koepka spoke early within the week about feeling extra nervous than standard and never realizing precisely how everybody would reply to his return, and in his first spherical, he by no means appeared absolutely snug on the robust South Course. Moving to the North Course offered a chance but additionally strain to carry out, realizing the cut line would proceed shifting additional underneath par as the day wore on.
While he nonetheless had some wayward tee pictures, Koepka appeared extra accountable for his ball and was in a position to create extra alternatives on the simpler of the 2 programs to get him to the weekend. Making cuts is not his final objective in returning to the Tour, however on per week through which a number of large names — together with enjoying companions Max Homa and Ludvig Åberg — are heading residence early, Koepka punching his ticket to the weekend permits him to take a deep breath and transfer ahead in his return to PGA Tour motion.
“It’s huge. I wanted to be here all four days. I’ve never gotten so many congratulations on making a cut before,” mentioned Koepka with a smirk. “But no, it feels good. I wanted to play two more days, and I’m excited to challenge myself and really figure out where [my game is] at, and hopefully be a little more aggressive and shoot some good scores.”
Leader
1. Justin Rose (-17): On prime of the leaderboard is Rose, the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open winner. Much like he did seven years in the past, he has darted away from the sector earlier than the weekend even arrives. Rose is 4 pictures away from second place going into the weekend, and at 17 underneath, he set the event record for lowest rating to par after 36 holes.
After a sensational 2025 marketing campaign noticed him get again within the winner’s circle (for the primary time since 2023), contend at majors and assist Europe win a highway Ryder Cup, the 45-year-old Englishman has picked up the place he left off. Rose tore up the North Course to shoot a 62 on Thursday and saved his foot on the pedal on the harder South Course on Friday to publish a 65 that he famous was even perhaps higher.
“I’m feeling great. Obviously, yeah, that was two special rounds of golf,” Rose mentioned. “Today, probably even more so, just given it’s hard to often follow up a low one. Obviously, this week you kind of go from the easy course to the tough course, but it was really kind of cool to keep momentum up out there.”
Rose highlighted his decision-making and skill to maintain the spherical on monitor as the factor that made him happiest after two sensational rounds to start out his event.
“I felt like decision-making was spot on in terms of how I managed my game,” Rose mentioned. “And obviously every shot was not going to be perfect out there, but when I was in a little bit of trouble, the putter would come through for me or I’d be disciplined with when I was slightly out of position. Really played for the fat of the green and [to] give myself like a good two-putt opportunity from 40 feet. So I felt like all in all I managed the game — managed the game really well, more than played perfectly.”
Rose did lastly make a bogey on the twelfth gap after beginning the event with 29 consecutive holes with no blemish, however he bounced again instantly to erase that bogey off the cardboard with a birdie on the thirteenth to proper the ship. He closed out his spherical in fashion, stuffing his method on the seventeenth to make a birdie on the tough par 4 after which dialed in a wedge to inside two ft to arrange a birdie on the par-5 18th.
Rose will head into the weekend as the robust favourite to choose up his second profession win at Torrey Pines and thirteenth PGA Tour title of his profession. As is usually the case with Rose, it is his iron play and placing that’s main the best way to a scorching begin, as he is fourth in strokes gained method and fifth in strokes gained placing for the week to create his benefit on prime.
Contenders
2. Seamus Power (-13)
T3. Joel Dahmen, Max McGreevy (-11)
5. Si Woo Kim (-10)
T6. Michael Thorbjornsen, Sahith Theegala, Maverick McNealy and three others (-9)
Dahmen and Power each ended their spherical with an eagle on the par-5 ninth (their 18th) on the North Course to remain considerably inside contact of Rose at the highest. Theegala holed a bunker shot for eagle on the 18th on the South Course to leap into the highest 10.
Dahmen’s 9-under 63 was the spherical of the day, as he carded three eagles complete on his spherical to make a significant transfer up the leaderboard and set himself up for an additional robust end at Torrey Pines after a prime 10 end a yr in the past. Power’s 66 on Friday was stable, but it surely’s his 65 from Thursday on the South Course that has to provide him confidence going into the weekend. He’ll want some extra rounds within the 60s on the tough South Course if he will monitor down Rose.
The relaxation will want one thing really spectacular to have an opportunity at the win, given the lead Rose has constructed, however a prime 10 this early within the season is at all times welcome as guys attempt to get their ft underneath them and choose up vital factors to start out the season.
Notable gamers who missed the cut
- Xander Schauffele (-2)
- Patrick Cantlay (-2)
- Max Greyserman (-2)
- Will Zalatoris (-1)
- J.J. Spaun (E)
- Akshay Bhatia (+1)
- Max Homa (+1)
- Billy Horschel (+5)
- Ludvig Åberg (+6)
Updated 2026 Farmers Insurance Open odds, picks
Odds through FanDuel Sportsbook
- Justin Rose (-220)
- Seamus Power (9-1)
- Si Woo Kim (16-1)
- Max McGreevy (20-1)
- Maverick McNealy (25-1)
- Joel Dahmen (30-1)
- Michael Thorbjornsen (30-1)
Given his historical past at this occasion (and hard golf programs basically) as effectively as the shape he is proven the primary two days, I’m unsure the way you wager anybody aside from Rose. That mentioned, taking a -220 favourite with 36 holes to go feels steep. Kim is the man who performs an aggressive-enough fashion that would lead to him creating alternatives to shoot the sort of scores wanted to erase a seven-shot deficit at a course just like the South Course. Now, that comes with the understanding he additionally might get overly aggressive and put some large numbers on the cardboard, however at this level, if you happen to’re taking any place aside from Rose, you need to swing on upside.
