Justin Rose catches on No. 1 Ranking with win at Torrey Pines

SAN DIEGO – To be the best, you have to beat the best. That's what Justin Rose has done over the past four days to win the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, protecting his status as the world's top rated golfer.

After a shaky start on Sunday that included three bogeys over his first five holes, Rose recovered to shoot a three-sub-par 69 and defeated his good friend Adam Scott with two shots. Rose captured a field with 12 of the 20 best players in the world rankings to record his 10th victory in the PGA Tour, by Nick Faldo for most tour wins by passing a player from England in the modern era.

Rose, 38, ended with a 72-hole total of 21-under 267, a tournament record since the South Course was redesigned in 2003 and a shot of the overall record of 22 shared by Tiger Woods (1999 ) and George Burns (1987). Scott birdied the last four holes to close a 68 and finished at 19 under. Hideki Matsuyama (67) and Talor Gooch (68) finished fourth in 16 points.

The scores were unusually low because the recent rain had softened the greens and there was very little wind coming from the Pacific.

"Twenty-one substandard at Torrey Pines is great golfing," Rose said, conceding the victory to his caddy, Mark Fulcher, who was hospitalized but does well after heart surgery last week. "This is for him."

Scott said his closing wave was "too late" because Rose had built up a lead of four shots and birdied two of the last four holes. Scott also blamed himself for missing two short putts on the front nine, one of 18 inches on No. 5.

"I think Justin acted as the number 1 player should do today, "said Scott. "When he was shaky, he rebounded nicely and showed why he is the biggest player in the world."

Rose's three-headed lead at the start of the day was reduced to one after he became bogeys made it to Nos. 1, 4 and 5. But he played bogey-free the rest of the day while you made five more birdies.

"I never lost control, so I had to stay patient," Rose said. "I scratched a line on my scorecard after the sixth hole and said: & # 39; We are building a round from this point onwards."

Scott went to two shots with a crane on the par-4 17th and needed an eagle on the 18th hole to force a playoff. But he hit his tee in a bunker to the left of the fairway and had to impose. Both players made birdie in the last hole with short putts.

Tiger Woods was never a factor in his first event of the 2019 season. His weeks of misery continued on Sunday on his first nine, but he rediscovered his battle with five birdies over his last eight holes to shoot 67 and ended in a draw for the 20th on 10 below. He shot all four rounds under par at Torrey Pines for the first time since 2008, and it was his first sub-70 round here since 2013, the year of his most recent of seven titles in the event.

"It was nice to get some rust," said Woods. "I think the whole week was good, very positive, I was not as sharp as I wanted to be, but every day it got a bit better, I hit my putts on my lines, I just did not read them properly. lots of lips burned and made my part today, which was fun. "

Woods said his next event would be the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club (February 14-17), where his charity is. the primary beneficiary.