– Brooks Koepka (+1) took 18 holes to make his first birdie on the PGA Tour upon his return to the regular American circuit four years later. It was definitely not an easy day for the Florida native at the opening of the Farmers Insurance Open. He appeared nervous, even overwhelmed at times by the situation. Not even Koepka enjoys being the centre of attention for everyone. He didn’t know how the public would respond, let alone how his game would perform after 14 weeks without competing. This excess of uncertainty turned into a tee-to-green game with more shadows than lights and a putt that left much to be desired. The best part of his game, by far, was his fighting and recovery ability. It was extraordinary that with his C game, he managed to make only two bogeys on the giant South course at Torrey Pines.
Koepka managed to stay alive on a bad day, something he has done a thousand times in the Majors. However, this Friday he will face a new situation for him in recent years. He will have to fight and play very well on the North course to make the cut. Here, one day is not the same as another, unlike in LIV Golf when you started poorly. Now it’s about playing all four days or going home to ponder what needs improvement to avoid the same outcome next week. The advantage for Brooks is that he plays the North course, undoubtedly the more accessible of the two.
– The figures are undeniably compelling. No less than 20 of the top 22 players after the first round played on the North course. The heroes of the South course were Irishman Seamus Power (-7) and American Max MxGreevy (-6). Koepka has room for improvement to make the cut, but he will need to sink a few more putts to avoid falling too far behind. At the moment, the cut is -2.
– Justin Rose (-10) wasn’t bluffing when he said the Ryder Cup captaincy could wait. The Englishman has other plans, which involve extending this third youth he is experiencing, which began with his fabulous performance, precisely, in the 2023 Ryder Cup. Rose is the sole leader of the Farmers Insurance Open after a sublime round. Once again, he was devastating with the putter. He put on a show on the greens, and he even left a clear option on the 18th to finish at -11.
– Rose has a one-shot lead over Justin Lower (-9), a player known for occasionally delivering some big rounds, and two over Max Greysermann and Hideki Matsuyama (-8). The former is determined to break into the winner’s club as soon as possible, although it’s proving challenging, and the latter played like an angel, always closely following the trail of his playing partner Rose. By the way, the third member of this tee time was Jason Day (-5). Scoring festival.
– The top players who played on the South course struggled this Thursday, despite the playing conditions being impeccable. What a beast this South course is. Besides Koepka, Xander Schauffele (+1) played over par, even though he slightly improved his round with two consecutive birdies on the back nine. Harris English (+1) and Ludvig Aberg (+6) did the same. The Swede finished with two birdies in a round that was turning into an ordeal and was heading towards a negative record.
– Mixed fortunes for the Europeans coming from the Race to Dubai. A very good debut from Kristoffer Reitan (-5), Matthieu Pavon (-5), John Parry (-5), and especially Dan Brown (-4), who played on the South course. On the other hand, Marco Penge (+3) overburdened himself, even though he played the South. Special mention to Colombian Marcelo Rozo (-6), with a great round on the North, and Tony Finau (PAR), who continues to struggle with a very inconsistent game, although today he enjoyed making a hole-in-one.
