Hadwin heads to weekend in 2nd place; Tiger heads home
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Justin Rose already achieved what he wanted Friday in the Farmers Insurance Open. One last birdie for the lead made the day even better.
Spooked by the bumpy greens late in the day at Torrey Pines that cost him two bogeys, Rose rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-5 closing hole on the South Course for a 1-under 71 that gave him a one-shot lead going to the weekend.
Tiger Woods missed the cut in his return after 17 months away from the PGA Tour. More shocking was that Jason Day and Dustin Johnson also missed the cut, as did Rickie Fowler.
Rose, who was at 8-under 136, now gets two more cracks at the South Course, where the average score for two days was 73.8.
“Everyone has played both courses now, and now we get to play the bruiser for the next two days,” Rose said. “So you just want to basically put yourself within shot.”
Defending champion Brandt Snedeker saved par from a shot that nearly went out-of-bounds on No. 12, rammed in a birdie putt on the 13th and held on for a 69 to sit one shot back.
Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, coming off a 59 and a runner-up finish last week in the California desert, shot a 71 to join Snedeker at 7-under 137.
Graham DeLaet (73) of Weyburn, Sask., finished the day on the north course tied for 21st at 3-under. Nick Taylor (74) of Abbotsford and Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch (76) were in a tie for 48th at 1 under. The cut was even-par 144. “I actually think the cut mark is incredibly low for two days around here,” Rose said. “Pretty much everyone who’s made the cut is still in the golf tournament.” It still was too high for Woods. On a course where he has won eight times, Woods has failed to finish 72 holes in his last three starts at Torrey Pines.
“I just didn’t make enough birdies,” Woods said. “It’s frustrating not being able to have a chance to win the tournament.”
Day, No. 1 in the world, missed the cut for the second straight year at Torrey Pines as he struggled with his putter — even on new, smoother greens of the North Course.