Rose’s Resurgence, Korda’s Comeback, and TGL’s Monday Night Showdown
In this week’s “The Starter,” PGA professional Brendon Elliott, a three-decade industry veteran, gives his thoughts on the week that was in golf for R.org. Justin Rose turns back the clock with a dominant wire-to-wire win at Torrey Pines. Nelly Korda finally breaks through to start her 2026 season. Patrick Reed falls short in a playoff. And TGL returns with Atlanta Drive facing Jupiter Links.
PGA TOUR: Rose Rewrites History, A 45-Year-Old’s Masterclass at Torrey Pines
Wire-to-Wire Dominance
Justin Rose doesn’t believe in rust. He doesn’t believe in age being a barrier. And after this week at the Farmers Insurance Open, he’s given the rest of the golf world no choice but to believe in him.
The 45-year-old Englishman put on an absolute clinic at Torrey Pines, leading from start to finish and winning by seven shots at 23-under par. Rose opened with a 62 on the North Course and never looked back, closing with a 70 on Sunday to claim his 13th PGA TOUR title.
“Sorry, T-dub, if you’re watching,” Rose said with a smile.
He was apologizing for breaking Tiger Woods’ tournament scoring record. Rose’s 265 total eclipsed the mark Woods set in 1999 by one shot. George Burns also shot 266 back in 1987, but this week belonged entirely to Rose.
Historic Company
The victory makes Rose the oldest winner in Farmers Insurance Open history, surpassing Marty Furgol, who won at 43 in 1959. He’s also the oldest wire-to-wire winner on TOUR since Rocco Mediate at the 2010 Procore Championship.
Rose moved to No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking, becoming the second-oldest player in the top three behind Vijay Singh. He now holds the most wins on TOUR of any English player since 1940, surpassing Nick Faldo’s nine victories.
“I still believe there’s good stuff in front of me,” Rose said.
The numbers back him up. His seven-stroke margin of victory was the largest at this event since Woods won by eight in 2008. It was also the first time a player 45 or older won by seven or more strokes since Loren Roberts at the 2000 Greater Milwaukee Open.
The Supporting Cast
Pierceson Coody, Si Woo Kim, and Ryo Hisatsune all finished tied for second at 16-under. Coody’s closing 65 was the low round of the day and gave him his second runner-up finish in 56 TOUR starts.
For Kim, it marked his best finish since the 2023 CJ CUP Byron Nelson and his second consecutive top-10 of the season. Hisatsune earned his best result in 65 TOUR starts, improving on his previous best of a tie for third at the 2024 Wyndham Championship.
Brooks Koepka made his return to the PGA TOUR after four years away, finishing tied for 56th in his first non-major start since the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. The nine-time TOUR winner spent four hours at the Scotty Cameron studio Saturday night working on his putting, which showed improvement Sunday even if the results didn’t follow.
“I love the chaos,” Koepka said about heading to Phoenix for next week’s WM Phoenix Open. “It will be good. It’s been four years since I’ve been back so I’m excited.”
LPGA: Korda Captures 16th Title, A Win Without Playing Sunday
Weather Wins
Nelly Korda started her 2026 season exactly how she wanted to: with a victory. The world No. 2 won the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona without hitting a shot on Sunday.
Brutal weather conditions in Orlando forced the LPGA to reduce the event to 54 holes. Korda’s third-round 64 on Saturday, the lowest round of the week, gave her a three-shot cushion that held up when play was called.
“Probably never,” Korda said when asked if she’d ever won without playing the final round. “Every win of mine is very interesting always.”
The victory was Korda’s 16th career LPGA Tour title and her first since The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican in November 2024. More importantly, it ended a winless 2025 season that saw her come agonizingly close multiple times.
Breaking Through
“Golf is a game of centimeters,” Korda explained. “There were so many times last year where I wished I had an inch here or a centimeter there where it would’ve changed the story completely.”
Korda led the field with 16 birdies over three rounds and never let the outside noise affect her preparation. She credited her team, including caddie Jason McDede and trainer Kim, for keeping her grounded and patient throughout the process.
“I was so close. I played really well last year. Obviously didn’t get the win, but I played some amazing golf the first three days this week and I’m really proud of myself, my team and all the work that we have put in when no one was watching and everyone was talking about it.”
Amy Yang finished second at 10-under, completing her final two holes of the third round Sunday morning with pars. Brooke Henderson took third at 7-under, while Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko finished fourth at 6-under.
The win was particularly special for Korda as it came in front of her family and fiancé, Casey. She also shares the tournament title with her sister Jessica, who won the event in 2021 when it was played at a different venue.
Mardy Fish won the celebrity portion of the event with 126 points in the Modified Stableford format, marking the second time he’s won when a Korda sister claimed the professional title.
DP World Tour: Reed Falls Short in Bahrain
So Close to Back-to-Back
Patrick Reed’s bid for consecutive DP World Tour victories came up just short Sunday when he lost in a playoff at the Bahrain Championship.
Reed, who won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic the previous week, finished at 17-under par alongside Freddy Schott and Calum Hill. The American made bogey at the first playoff hole to drop out of contention.
Schott, ranked No. 436 in the world, clinched his first professional title on the second playoff hole after Hill hooked his drive out of bounds and shanked his fourth shot into water.
“Extremely happy, surprised. I don’t know what’s happening right now,” said the 24-year-old German, who was clearly battling nerves as he attempted to end his title drought five years after turning pro.
Reed was 10 shots off the lead heading into the weekend but charged with rounds of 66 and 67 on Saturday and Sunday. He briefly held the lead after his third consecutive birdie at No. 14 but played the final four holes in 1-over.
The 35-year-old is playing a full DP World Tour schedule this season and is entered in next week’s Qatar Masters. He’s attempting to earn PGA TOUR status as one of the leading 10 players in the Race to Dubai.
TGL Returns: Atlanta Drive Faces Jupiter Links
Monday Night Showdown
TGL Season 2 action returns Monday night with undefeated Atlanta Drive GC taking on winless Jupiter Links Golf Club at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Atlanta Drive (2-0-0) looks to continue its dominance after defeating Jupiter Links 9-1 in the final regular season match of Season 1. Chris Gotterup returns for an injured Justin Thomas and will team with Lucas Glover and Billy Horschel.
Jupiter Links (0-2-0) is still searching for its first win of the season. The trio of Akshay Bhatia, Max Homa, and Kevin Kisner have shown flashes of brilliance but struggled with short putts. Tiger Woods will again be in a non-playing role, providing fans an inside look at strategy and in-match communication.
Key Matchups
Billy Horschel faces Kevin Kisner in what should be a fascinating Singles battle. Horschel owns a 10-3-5 all-time Singles record and leads TGL with 16 Singles points. They’ll play No. 12, “Fallen Pine,” before finishing on the par-5 “Sterling.”
Chris Gotterup squares off against Akshay Bhatia in a matchup of two of the best ballstrikers in Season 2. Both players have hit 100% of their greens in regulation in Singles, with Gotterup winning holes on both No. 10 and No. 13 in previous matches.
Lucas Glover takes on Max Homa in a battle of contrasting form. Glover was undefeated in Singles during Atlanta’s Season 1 championship run, while Homa is still searching for consistency after earning his first Singles win earlier this season.
The course setup features several strategic holes that could decide the match. Hole No. 1, “Cut The Sails,” offers two ways to attack the green. No. 6, “The Plank,” is a drivable par 4 at just 305 yards. And No. 13, “Stinger,” demands a low, controlled tee shot around a natural rock formation.
That’s it for this week’s Starter. Rose proves age is just a number, Korda gets back in the winner’s circle and TGL provides Monday night entertainment. It’s a great time to be a golf fan.