Justin Rose cards stunning round to open up four-shot lead at Farmers Insurance Open

[p]England's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rose-justin/rR1fSdat/"]Rose[/a] followed up a 10-under first round on the North Course with an arguably more impressive seven-under effort on the tougher South Course, where he closed with back-to-back birdies to set a 36-hole tournament scoring record with a total of 17-under 127.[/p][p][b]"That was two special rounds of golf, today probably even more so just given it's hard to often follow up a low one,"[/b] said the 45-year-old, the 2013 US Open champion whose 12 PGA Tour titles include the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.[/p][p][b]"I felt like decision-making was spot on in terms of how I managed my game," [/b]Rose said after a round that featured six birdies, an eagle and one bogey.[/p][p]"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 when I was slightly out of position, really played for the fat of the green and gave myself a good two-putt opportunity from 40 feet."[/p][embed guid="7800cbe8-3761-47a7-80d1-216cc0408cd9" url="https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/2017371136984522821?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Rose was four strokes in front of Ireland's Seamus Power, who rebounded from his only bogey at his penultimate hole, the eighth, with an eagle at the ninth to post a six-under 66 for 131.[/p][p]"A lot of good stuff," Power said. "As well as I scored yesterday, it was more the putter and I knew I was a little off with the long game.[/p][p][b]"So I was able to get that figured out after the round yesterday, so it felt much much better long game-wise and the putter obviously was still there. So feeling really good going into tomorrow."[/b][/p][p]Power was two shots ahead of Americans [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dahmen-joel/OUnK22s0/"]Joel Dahmen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcgreevy-max/QDDwTTwd/"]Max McGreevy[/a]. Dahmen had three eagles in his 63 and McGreevy signed for a 67 to join him on 11-under 133.[/p][h2]Koepka makes cut[/h2][p]Five-time major winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koepka-brooks/t0xtKfZH/"]Koepka[/a], one of the highest-profile players to join LIV when the Saudi-backed renegade tour launched in 2022, was 14 off the pace but he'll be playing the weekend in his first tournament back on the PGA Tour.[/p][p]Koepka hadn't played a non-major PGA Tour event since the 2022 WGC Match Play and hadn't played a competitive round in 14 weeks before posting a one-over 73 on Thursday, when he was heartened by the warm reception he received from fans.[/p][p]On Friday, he had an eagle and three birdies in a 68 to make the cut on the number at three-under 141.[/p][embed guid="d8a079ae-7b81-416e-82bf-03e5f256bc60" url="https://x.com/i/status/2017387559672742102" social-type="twitter" /][p]"It feels good," Koepka said. "Just wanted to play four days this week, I think that was important.[/p][p][b]"I think yesterday I was excited to play, nervous, and kind of didn't know what to expect,"[/b] added Koepka, whose return to the PGA Tour was facilitated by a new program for returning players that includes limitations on eligibility for some top events as well as financial penalties.[/p][p][b]"Today felt more normal,"[/b] he said.[b] "I definitely still got antsy, maybe a little bit of nerves just trying to figure it out and see where my game's at too."[/b][/p][p]Two-time major winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schauffele-xander/OnIoiVkm/"]Xander Schauffele[/a]'s streak of 72 consecutive PGA Tour cuts made - the fifth-longest such streak in tour history - came to an end, the American's three-under 69 leaving him one stroke shy of the weekend.[/p]