Welp, the Boogey Man is back, and his name is Scottie Scheffler. Fortunately, we got to have a little fun last week, as Stephen Hennessey cashed a huge 60-1 winner with Justin Rose at the Farmers Insurance Open. Fun time is now over.

Unless, of course, you believe in the underdog story, which has been the prevailing story at this tournament the last two years with wins from longshots Thomas Detry and Nick Taylor. Of course, Scheffler went back-to-back the two years prior. So there's that.

The Golf Digest betting panel is comprised of Pat Mayo of Underdog/Mayo Media Network, Andy Lack of the Inside Sports Network, Ryan Noonan of Betsperts, your two authors and Keith Stewart, the CEO of Read The Line.

RELATED: WM Phoenix Open DFS picks 2026: Why I’m all in on Jordan Spieth this week

Scroll down for our complete betting analysis of the 2026 Waste Management Phoenix Open:

Pat Mayo, Underdog/Fantasy National, Mayo Media Network analyst: Cameron Young (25-1, FanDuel) — Cam shook off the rust last week and managed a solid (but not great) ball-striking performance—right where he left off in 2025, yet much closer to those numbers from where he was at this point last year. We know the driver is going to be elite, something essential at a driver-heavy course, but Torrey marked the fifth time in six starts he gained at least 2.85 strokes on approach against the field. Young’s gained an average of +6.31 SG/putting the last two years in Phoenix. Sniff that number again, along with the regular ball-striking and we have ourselves a winner.

Keith Stewart, PGA, Read The Line: Maverick McNealy (35-1, Bet365) — I really like the way Maverick McNealy is playing this year. McNealy has gained an average of 5.5 strokes/total in his two starts. That does sound great, but what I really love, Maverick is gaining in every strokes gained category in each start! Coming off a top 10 at the Farmers, Maverick is a top gun at TPC Scottsdale. His last two starts at the WM Phoenix Open? Sixth and ninth.

Ryan Noonan, Content Manager 4for4/Betsperts: Maverick McNealy (33-1, BetRivers) — Let’s pretend that Scottie Scheffler isn’t going to win, even though I don’t believe that. The sample is small, but McNealy's ball speed is up 2 mph so far in 2026. That added distance pairs well with his improved iron play and elite short game. McNealy was second in the field in proximity from 150-175 yards on Sunday at Torrey Pines, and he's finished T-6 and T-9 the past two years in Scottsdale.

Stephen Hennessey, Golf Digest managing editor: Kurt Kitayama (56-1, without Scottie Scheffler market, Bet365) — Scheffler's coming off a five-stroke win in a putting contest and returning to a venue he’s already won twice. I think the “without Scottie Scheffler” market is the play this week. The value here is Kitayama at 56-1. The 3M Open winner can rack up the birdies and is a top-20 off-the-tee and approach player over the past 12 months, per Betsperts Golf’s Rabbit Hole. He’s also top 20 in SG/total at TPC Scottsdale in this career, so despite losing strokes/putting in every event back to August, if we get some positive putting this week, he’s live ... at least finish second.

Christopher Powers, Golf Digest senior writer: Jordan Spieth (50-1, Caesars Sportsbook) — Like so many of you out there, I simply don’t know how to quit this man, especially at TPC Scottsdale, where he’s gone T-4/T-6/T-6/T-60/T-4 in his last five trips. As Ron Klos pointed out in our DFS column this week, course history carries significant weight at Scottsdale, and Spieth has it in abundance.

Andy Lack, Inside Sports Network: Cameron Young (25-1, BetOnline) — Cameron Young is coming off a solid 22nd-place finish at Torrey Pines where he gained strokes in all three major tee-to-green categories. Young is now returning to TPC Scottsdale where he has already recorded two top-12 finishes in four appearances.

Past results: We have our FIRST winner of 2026, with Stephen Hennessey correctly predicting Justin Rose’s victory at Torrey Pines at 60-1!

Listen to Golf Digest's weekly betting podcast, "The Loop," (below) where we interview the industry's leading experts (and sometimes tour pros) to help you make your bets and pick your fantasy lineups. And be sure to subscribe to "The Loop" wherever you get your podcasts!

Mayo: Brooks Koepka (45-1, BetMGM) — I needed to see something from Brooks at Torrey Pines and I did. Despite a T-56 result, Brooks was 11th tee-to-green on the South Course, he just happened to lose an ungodly 7.23 strokes putting. Worst in the field. Now, this isn’t a new thing. Koepka has been plagued by terrible putting for over a year now. It’s unfortunate he didn’t leave that issue with LIV. In his post-round interview, it was mentioned how he spent hours working on his putting stroke Saturday evening. And out worked, kind of. After losing 5.45 strokes in round three Brooks only lost 0.31 on Sunday. Improvement! This is probably going to persist all year but TPC Scottsdale is a perfect spot to spike back the other way and start rolling it in the cup. In five career Phoenix starts, Koepka has two wins, a T-3, and has never lost strokes putting in any of those appearances; gaining an average of 3.37 strokes.

Stewart: Kurt Kitayama (70-1, Bet365) — If you want players to challenge the present-day king, you’ll need a serious ball-striker. Kurt Kitayama has gained tee to green in 13 straight measured events. You can’t slip by Scottie without the putter, and that can be a weakness for Kurt. The greens at TPC Scottsdale are pretty flat, and Kitayama has conquered them twice, gaining over three strokes with the putter in two of his three desert starts. Any player will need the planets to align if they are going to get Scheffler, but Kurt’s isn’t too far apart.

Noonan: Kurt Kitayama (70-1, Bet365) — Kurt Kitayama is among the leaders in the field in driving distance, and he trails only "you-know-who" in SG/tee-to-green on courses with average, easy, and very easy scoring conditions over the past 12 months. We're looking to pick a winner here, not someone to make the cut, so I like the putting upside when paired with his exceptional tee-to-green chops. Per Betsperts Golf, he’s gained strokes on the greens in eight of his 12 rounds played at TPC Scottsdale.

Hennessey, Golf Digest: Andrew Novak (76-1, without Scottie Scheffler, DraftKings) — Shoutout to our guy Tom & Marty’s on X, who went viral for his Scheffler hot take. A scorching hot premonition he’s put out in the universe since December was Andrew Novak winning this event. I’m absolutely on board and love the form he’s giving us—equaling Justin Rose’s SG/approach numbers last week at Torrey Pines. He told us on The Loop podcast last year he loves the WM Phoenix Open, and he finished T-8 here in 2024.

Powers, Golf Digest: Max Greyserman (150-1, BetRivers) — This was the first bet I made Monday morning, because the number is flat-out disrespectful. Over the last 18 months, Greyserman has finished in the top four six times. His ceiling is as high as anybody’s, and it feels like a matter of when, not if, he nabs his first win this year. If you’re giving me triple digits on him, I’m taking it.

Lack: Rasmus Hojgaard (66-1, BetRivers) — Rasmus Hojgaard was my pick to win last week, and while he certainly underwhelmed with a 30th-place finish, I was still impressed with what I saw from the big-hitting Dane. Hojgaard gained over a stroke off the tee in three rounds at the South Course, and he finished 12th at TPC Scottsdale last year.

RELATED: LIV Golf sounds off after finally receiving World Ranking points

Mayo: Hideki Matsuyama (25-1, BetRivers) — If Hideki was driving the ball anywhere near the standard he was producing in his back-to-back wins in his Phoenix era, he’d likely be the main competition for Scottie. But he’s nowhere near that with a driver in his hand anymore. Yet he’s still a betting favorite at this event. Pass.

Stewart: Xander Schauffele (20-1, BetMGM) — Something about Xander Schauffele’s game is off since the rib injury early last year. I know he won in the fall, but his ball-striking just has not been the same. Phoenix requires great driving to contend, let alone win. With the cut streak behind him, Schauffele should be working on his game in preparation for major season. If he’s looking ahead, so am I this week.

Noonan: Jake Knapp (40-1, FanDuel) — I’ve seen a handful of folks discuss Jake Knapp as a viable look this week, coming off back-to-back strong showings at Waialae (T-11) and Torrey Pines (T-5). He’s bleeding strokes on approach of late, losing 0.52 strokes per round over his past 24. His putter is doing a lot of the heavy lifting with his recent success, but I’m going to let others chase that this week.

Hennessey, Golf Digest: Sam Burns (22-1, Betsperts) — This number is way too short for someone who was mediocre at The AMEX, an event where he typically performs well. He’s missed the cut in three of his seven appearances at the WM Phoenix Open. I’d need to see more from him than considering him at this number.

Powers, Golf Digest: Xander Schauffele (20-1, BetMGM) — After his cut streak ended last week, Schauffele seemed to allude to some last-minute equipment-tinkering as the reason he didn’t find the weekend. He’s good enough to be able to clean that up quickly, but I’ll pass on him here.

Lack: J.J. Spaun (33-1, FanDuel) — After a breakout season in 2025, I’m expecting a bit of regression from J.J. Spaun in 2026. The reigning U.S. Open champion is still being priced like the player he was in 2025, despite beginning the season with two underwhelming results at the Sony Open and Farmers Insurance Open.

Mayo: Cameron Young (-110) over Hideki Matsuyama (Coolbet) — My pick to win over my biggest fade. If I can’t bet this, what can I bet?

Stewart: Brooks Koepka (+162) over JJ Spaun (FanDuel) — JJ Spaun’s iron game is off, and his putter is a problem. Spaun has lost strokes with the flatstick in four straight measured events. TPC Scottsdale is not a great venue for the U.S. Open champion, while Brooks Koepka looks like he has been practicing. Eleventh in the field at Torrey T2G, Koepka heads to a venue where he has won twice. I’ll take the plus odds in this matchup and the trend in the desert.

Noonan: Corey Conners (+100) over Sahith Theegala (FanDuel) — Let’s give Corey Conners a look at a place that demands elite ball-striking to have success. Conners is going to keep the ball in play off the tee, and while he’s not a strong putter, he’s at his best on fast greens, which we have this week at TPC Scottsdale. Over the past 12 months, Conners ranks fifth in SG/putting on fast greens.

Hennessey, Golf Digest: Jake Knapp (+100) over Harris English (BetMGM) — Knapp has a significant off-the-tee advantage over English, which is big at TPC Scottsdale, leading to an edge on the par 5s, crucial for scoring around here. Knapp's coming off a T-5 and a T-11 to start the year, and I think he just needs a top 20 here to win this matchup.

Powers, Golf Digest: Pierceson Coody (-120) over Harry Hall (Bet365) — Coody is one of three players to finish top 20 in all three events this year, hits the ball a mile and has the better approach numbers than Hall. I’m high on the Englishman this year overall, but I’m going with the extremely hot hand here.

Lack: Harris English (-140) over Corey Conners (Southpoint) — Harris English is a bet for me and one of my favorite plays on the board. English has recorded five top-20 finishes at the Phoenix Open and is coming off a top-25 finish at the Farmers where he gained 2.2 strokes off the tee and 5.1 strokes on approach. Corey Conners, on the other hand, has continually struggled to find his footing at TPC Scottsdale.

Matchup Results from the Farmers: Stewart: 1 for 1 (English (-118) over Zalatoris); Lack: 1 for 1 (Matsuyama (-120) over Spaun); Mayo: 1 for 1 (Knapp (+105) over Clark); Powers: 1 for 1 (Thorbjornsen (-105) over Higgo); Noonan: 1 for 1 (Thorbjornsen (-105) over Higgo); Hennessey: 1 for 1 (Rodgers (-120) over Higgo)

Matchup Results from the 2026 season (Wins-Losses-Pushes): Stewart: 3-0-0 (up 2.65 units); Lack: 3-0-0 (up 2.6 units); Mayo: 2-1-0 (up 1.14 units); Powers: 2-1-0 (up 0.95 units); Noonan: 1-2-0 (down 1.05 units); Hennessey: 1-2-0 (down 1.17 units)

Mayo: Pierceson Coody (+550, BetRivers) — With his T-2 at Torrey Pines, Coody has now reeled off three straight top 20s to kick off 2026. Finishing fourth in tee-to-green, Coody led all players in driving. A good sign considering he’s heading to a course where players hit driver 90 percent of the time.

Stewart: Si Woo Kim (+255, DraftKings) — The ball-striking for Si Woo Kim is in a really nice place. Eleventh at the Sony, sixth at The American Express (held the 54-hole lead), and runner-up at the Farmers. Kim is averaging +7 strokes on the field T2G per start, and he gained with the putter at Torrey Pines! The approach play is on fire, and now Si Woo heads to Scottsdale, where he has not finished outside the top 26 in four years. I’m taking the 10 places and a winning ticket to the window on Sunday.

Noonan: Pierceson Coody (+550, BetRivers) — Coody models very well across many key metrics this week, ranking among the top ten in SG/off-the-tee on driver-heavy courses, Going for the Green percentage, Birdie or Better percentage, and Bogey Avoidance. He's started the season with three straight T-18 or better finishes, and this course sets up incredibly well for his game. Hennessey, Golf Digest: Sahith Theegala (+450, Bet365) — I love how encouraged Theegala sounded after Torrey Pines last week, saying he felt 100 percent after his injury struggles last year. He’s coming off back-to-back top 10s at Torrey and AMEX, and now returns to one of his favorite courses, TPC Scottsdale. Powers, Golf Digest: Tony Finau (+1100, BetRivers) — Absolutely gutting finish last week, as a late bogey on 16 was the difference between T-11 and T-10 at Torrey for Tony. Despite the strong finish and the fact he was top 11 in the field both off-the-tee and on approach, we’re getting almost an identical large top 10 number at a course Finau has had success at. I’ll fall right back down that well. Lack: J.T. Poston (+550, BetRivers) — J.T. Poston has been solid at TPC Scottsdale, and he finished 16th at this event last year. Poston is coming off a 38th at the American Express where he gained 4.6 strokes on approach in two rounds at the Stadium Course. He is also one of the best over-seeded Poa putters in this field. Top-10 results from the Farmers: Noonan: 1 for 1 (Maverick McNealy +360); Everybody else: 0 for 1

Top-10 results from the 2026 season: Lack: 1 for 3 (up 4 units); Stewart: 1 for 3 (up 2.1 units); Powers: 1 for 3 (up 2.1 units); Noonan: 1 for 3 (up 1.6 units); Mayo: 1 for 3 (up 1.2 units); Hennessey: 0 for 3 (down 3 units) About our experts  Pat Mayo is an award-winning video host and producer of long and short-form content, and the host of The Pat Mayo Experience daily talk show. Mayo helped create the golf stats and research website Fantasy National along with the Race for the Mayo Cup One and Done contest. Mayo won the 2022 Fantasy Sports Writing Association Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year and is a finalist for three FSWA Awards in 2023 (Best Podcast, Daily Fantasy Writer of the Year, Golf Writer of the Year). His 27 FSWA nominations lead all writers this decade and are second-most all-time. Follow him on Twitter: @ThePME.

Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor for Golf Digest and founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the LPGA and PGA TOUR. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter here and raise your golf betting acumen. Keith's winning content can also be found on Sports Grid, Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_.

Ryan Noonan is the Betting Content Manager for 4for4 and Betsperts Golf, writing articles and hosting multiple shows under the Betsperts Group umbrella, including Move The Line and our Betsperts Golf Betting Show. Find him on Twitter: @RyNoonan.

Andy Lack is a PGA Tour writer and podcaster from New York City who now resides in Los Angeles. Andy is the founder and CEO of Inside Sports Network, a website devoted to the predictive quality of advanced analytics and golf course architecture. He came to Golf Digest’s betting panel after previously writing for Run Pure Sports, RickRunGood.com, the Score and GolfWRX. In his free time, Andy can likely be found on a golf course. Follow him on Twitter: @adplacksports.

Scottie Scheffler. Brooks Koepka. Two of the men who have made the most headlines this year on the PGA Tour are playing this week in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. They’ll be part of the 123-player field playing for $9.6 million with the winner taking home $1.728 million.

Scheffler, of course, is the World No. 1 and he walked away with The American Express trophy two weeks ago in his first, and only, start this season. It’s scarry to think what he could do this year, following a year in which he won two major championships. He won his first PGA Tour title at the Phoenix Open in 2022 and the win in Palm Springs was his 20th, giving him a lifetime PGA Tour exemption. Not that he needs it.

Koepka, of course, is freshly back from LIV Golf after the PGA Tour created a new program for him to return. He made the cut last week at the Farmers Insurance Open, his most important goal, but struggled on the weekend, mostly with the putter, and tied for 56th place.

RELATED: LIV Golf to receive World Ranking points

There are only four top-10 players competing, with Xander Schauffele (6), J.J. Spaun (7) and Ben Griffin (8) following Scheffler. There are 10 of the top 20.

Joel Dahmen and Sahith Theegala earned sponsor exemptions this week. Dahmen asked for his by writing on a shirt, making organizers think back to his celebration a few years back when he ripped off his shirt and went bonkers. Theegala stumbled last year because of injury and is working his way back into the fold. He tied for seventh place last week at Torrey Pines.

The defending champion is Belgium’s Thomas Detry, who is not in the field this year because he left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf.

Here’s the rundown of what each player will earn who makes the cut. Check back here Sunday after play is complete for updates.

WIN: $1.728 million

2: $1.0464 million

3: $662,400

4: $470,400

5: $393,600

6: $348,000

7: $324,000

8: $300,000

9: $280,800

10: $261,600

11: $242,200

12: $223,200

13: $204,000

14: $184,800

15: $175,200

16: $165,600

17: $156,000

18: $146,400

19: $136,800

20: $127,200

21: $117,600

22: $108,000

23: $100,320

24: $92,640

25: $84,960

26: $77,280

27: $74,400

28: $71,520

29: $68,640

30: $65,760

31: $62,880

32: $60,000

33: $57,120

34: $54,720

35: $52,320

36: $49,920

37: $47,520

38: $45,600

39: $43,680

40: $41,760

41: $39,840

42: $37,920

43: $36,000

44: $34,080

45: $32,160

46: $30,240

47: $28,320

48: $26,784

49: $25,440

50: $24,627

51: $24,096

52: $23,520

53: $23,136

54: $22,752

55: $22,560

56: $22,368

57: $22,176

58: $21,984

59: $21,792

60: $21,600

61: $21,408

62: $21,216

63: $21,024

64: $20,832

65: $20,640

66: $20,448

67: $20,256

68: $20,064

69: $19,872

70: $19,680

71: $19,488

72: $19,296

73: $19,104

74: $18,912

75: $18,720

76: $18,528

77: $18,336

78: $18,144

79: $17,952

80: $17,760

SAN DIEGO — After crushing both the Farmers Insurance Open field and the Torrey Pines Golf Courses in a record-breaking victory, Justin Rose was savoring the moment on Sunday evening when he mentioned himself being in the company of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler. Whoa. That put him in danger of producing hellish backlash from the cellar dwellers in the social media realm.

Then again, we challenge them to fault the premise.

At 45 years old, with now 13 PGA Tour victories, an Olympic gold medal and a bunch of special moments in the Ryder Cup, Rose has learned a thing or a hundred about managing his game and emotions around a golf course, and few times was that more evident than over these last four days, early in the Englishman’s 28th year as a pro.

MORE Justin Rose's win was special to the caddie who missed his last victory at Torrey Pines

Rose shot 62-65-68-70 and his 23-under 265 total surpassed the previous record held by Woods (1999) and George Burns (1987)—both reaching the mark when Torrey Pines was a pushover compared to the brute the South Course became ahead of the 2008 U.S. Open.

The seven-stroke margin of victory over three players is the largest since Woods won by eight in 2008, and Rose is the first player to win San Diego’s tour event by being the sole leader after every round since Tommy Bolt did it in 1955—13 years before the event moved to Torrey Pines.

Now the oldest player to win the tournament—in the last year that it’s being sponsored by Farmers Insurance—Rose carved up Torrey Pines the same way he did when he won here in 2019 with a 21-under total, while occupying the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking. He led the field in greens in regulation with nearly 82 percent hit, was second in strokes gained/approach, gaining 7.25 on the field, and was 10th in SG/putting (3.53).

It was a masterful display of shotmaking and strategy, which brought him to his own comparisons to some of the greats.

Orlando Ramirez

“What a week from start to finish,” said Rose. “I just got really disciplined this week. Obviously, I was playing well, but I just thought the way I managed my game, the way I thought about things, the way I was patient at the right time, the way I was able to absorb a little bit of the odd mistake by holing the right two-putt at the right time.

“There was a lot of mental maturity from the strategic golf point of view out there, which I think you look at the best players in history—Jack, Tiger, I’m going to say Scottie Scheffler now as well. That’s the sort of thing they do week in and week out, and I feel like that’s something that I did really, really well this week.”

Of course, much is being made about Rose’s age, and the win moves him to No. 3 in the world and makes him the second-oldest (a few months behind Vijay Singh) to ever reach the top three. Not that Rose, who began his pro career at 17, thinks much about it.

“I take pride out of it—that I’m doing something that’s not easy to do,” he said. “But I don’t wake up in the morning believe that narrative, either.”

Sahith Theegala, who is 28 and finished nine shots behind the winner on Sunday, has gotten to know Rose more now that they play on the same TGL team, and he marvels at the lengths he has gone to take care of himself and not let his game slide.

“What he's doing at 45 is unbelievable,” Theegala said. “Just to be able to gain the ball speed he has, to be able to keep the competitive fire that he has, the discipline while also being a great family man. … He kind of does it all. He's very, very impressive.”

Theegala opined that Rose hasn’t received nearly the attention he should. “Somehow, I feel like he's flown under the radar for 20-plus years," he said. "No. 1 in the world, major champ, gold medalist, whatever. You name it, you feel like he's done it. So to be playing potentially some of the best golf of his life now.

“I know he wants to win majors really bad. I wouldn't be surprised if he snags one this year at all, especially after last year.”

Of course, if there is a smudge on Rose’s career, it’s that he’s won only a single major while finishing solo or joint second five times. He tied for second in the 2024 Open Championship, and there was the devastating loss just last April, when Rose did about all he could to win his first Masters, only to lose a playoff to Rory McIlroy.

Those are sources of tremendous motivation for him.

Orlando Ramirez

“I think that maybe I would say I've had some rounds last year—whether it be Sunday at Augusta or … Saturday of the Ryder Cup, [or] some of the golf this week, to be honest,” Rose said. “I think those days or those weeks or those rounds are definitely showing me that the gas is still in the tank. Obviously, accessing it is the job now or is the trick. … But at least knowing it’s there kind of builds a lot of confidence.”

This was the week that saw the return of Brooks Koepka to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf (he ultimately finished T-56) and the news that Patrick Reed was leaving the Saudi-backed circuit with plans to regain his card for next year’s tour season.

In the early days of LIV’s formation in 2022, Rose was among the players approached about joining the league—with a sizeable signing bonus on the table, no doubt. But he turned them down, as he said on Sunday, because “I kind of always felt like my childhood self wouldn't feel very good about making that decision and kind of giving up” on the dreams of winning majors and meaningful tour titles. Safe to say, he has no regrets.

“I would say, sniffing and knocking on the door of a couple majors since those decisions were made and those [other] moments … it did validate the decision,” Rose said. “The way things are in the world of golf right now, I feel like it's good to see people wanting to kind of play where it motivates them to be their best.”

SAN DIEGO — There was a celebration before the celebration during Justin Rose’s triumphant walk up the 18th hole at Torrey Pines on Sunday in his seven-shot victory in the Farmers Insurance Open.

As the CBS cameras followed Rose and his caddie, Mark “Fooch” Fulcher, the two exchanged laughs and a message into the camera for the golfer’s one-time caddie, Gareth Lord. It was Lord who was on Rose’s bag in 2019 when the Englishman won his first title at Torrey Pines. At the time, Fulcher watched the proceedings from a hospital bed, having undergone mitral valve surgery on his heart that January.

“I think we were just trying to have a little bit of banter and make light of the fact, ‘Hey, Lordie, I hope you're watching now because now it's Fooch's turn to be walking down the 18th with me here at Torrey,’” Rose said in the winner’s news conference.

As Rose fashioned a historic victory in which he set the 36-, 54 and 72-hole scoring records, ultimately finishing at 23 under, he said he never brought up the past with Fulcher—until the end.

After recovering from the surgery, Fulcher returned to loop for Rose at the 2019 Masters, but soon after announced that he’d be taking a leave. Rose won twice in the interim before he and Fulcher reunited at the 2023 Ryder Cup, and together they won the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship in the playoffs. Among the victories for which Fulcher has been on Rose’s bag are his 2013 U.S. Open win and gold medal performance in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

“I think that win,” Rose said of the 2019 Farmers, “was always a tough one for Fooch—not fighting for his life, but he was in a pretty bad way in the hospital and seeing us kind of cruise to victory and, you know, hugging Lordie on the 18th green.

“Nearly had to have another procedure after that, I think,” Rose added with a chuckle.

“It was in my head all [this] week, 'wouldn't be it nice to win with Fooch here.' It was totally unsaid until across the water on 18. I was, like, that was fun to enjoy that with him.”

The start of the LPGA season had so much potential, but atypical freezing weather in Florida on Sunday saw tournament officials make the decision to cancel the final round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando.

Nelly Korda shot a third-round 64 and was in the lead by three shots, but eight players did not finish the third round Saturday at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club when chilly temps and dangerous winds quickly came into the area. On Sunday, lows were in the mid-20s with winds whipping up to 15 miles per hour.

The start of the final round kept getting pushed back until officials believed the conditions could be played in a proper environment, but eventually, with it only just barely breaking 40 degrees, it was clear the final round could not be completed Sunday. The forecast for Monday calls for more temps in the 20s.

“Based on conversations between the rules officials, tournament staff, partners and the grounds team, the decision has been made to reduce the 2026 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions to a 54-hole event,” a statement from the LPGA said.

“The weather and temperature for tomorrow is forecasted to be the same as this morning which will likely create similar conditions and prevent us from completing 72 holes.”

The eight players who have not finished will complete their rounds and the leader at the time will be declared the champion. Amy Yang, Youmin Hwang and Lydia Ko are among those chasing Korda, although Yang is three back with two holes remaining, Hwang is five back and Ko is five back with three holes remaining.

Not everyone was pleased with the decision despite the freezing temps. Annika Sorenstam, who played nine holes as part of the celebrity competition on Sunday, told Golfweek that she believed the course are definitely playable.

"I don't know why they're not playing," Sorenstam told Golfweek. "There's pitch marks. I mean, I hit some crispy shots today and the ball even stopped. I am surprised. It's difficult, it's cold but it's as fair as anything."

(Note: this report will be updated once the final eight players finish and a winner has been declared.)

SAN DIEGO — Joel Dahmen couldn’t believe what he just saw. Playing partner Justin Rose, a golfer enjoying an extended heater at Torrey Pines, had a lie on Saturday in the first cut of rough off the fairway on the South Course’s challenging seventh hole. The pin location was as tough as it comes, tucked into the upper right corner. Rose would later admit that he wasn’t firing at the flagstick, but his 9-iron faded toward it and the ball ended up five feet from the hole. The Englishman converting a third straight birdie.

Dahmen already had witnessed a bunch of striped drives and dart-like iron shots oer the morning, but he was dumbfounded by the play at 7.

“So he's got to hit it high over the tree out of the first cut,” Dahmen described, “so it could fly, come out dead—and he hits this thing to the moon, it comes down to four feet. You don't hit that shot in a practice round let alone when you have a six- or seven-shot lead on Saturday and you're hanging out.

“At that point, that was just kind of like, ‘OK, you win.’”

Clearly, Rose has ground even his closest challengers into submission going into Sunday's fina round. The World No. 10 has recorded 24 red numbers on holes, with one eagle, and in shooting a four-under-par 68 on Saturday, Rose forged a six-shot lead with a 54-hole tournament record total of 21-under 195.

Rose, seeking his second win at Torrey Pines and 13th tour victory overall, has an opportunity to win the tournament wire-to-wire, and in an almost unbelievable circumstance, he can pull off something Tiger Woods never did in his seven wins at Torrey. Rose would be the first to hold a solo lead in every round and win San Diego’s tour event since Tommy Bolt in 1955. Johnny Miller went wire-to-wire in 1982, but he was tied after the first round.

Woods is tied with three others in the tournament for the largest margin of victory of eight strokes. At three different times on Saturday, Rose created that gap, only to surrender two shots in that margin late on a two-shot swing with Dahmen at the par-3 16th.

Dahmen shot a 68 in the third round that he figured was the best he could do as a short hitter on the meaty South, and he gained no ground on Rose. A one-time tour winner who started this season with only conditional status, Dahmen is alone in second at 15 under, with Japan’s Ryo Hisatune (68) and South Korea’s Si Woo Kim (69) eight shots behind.

“My only hope is if he doesn't set his alarm or he somehow starts hitting in the rough on the back nine maybe,” Dahmen said. “I don't know. The way he's playing and what he's doing, I would be pleased with second place.”

Earlier this week—and he wasn’t citing Rose specifically at the time—Dahmen pointed out that the best players on the tour were getting younger and that there were only a handful of competitors left in their 40s. Rose is 45, but he’s maintained his strength through diligent fitness training and his competitive mind seems as sharp as ever.

“To still have the drive with the career that he's had is very impressive," Dahmen said. "He puts a lot of work into his body. His ability to still grind and practice and spend the time on it when he's got everything you could want is really impressive, honestly. It's almost inspiring for me, I'm seven years younger than him, I'm getting outdrove than 30 yards. I've got to get in a little better shape to hang out with Justin.”

The current state of Rose’s game and mental strength figures to come into play on Sunday as he tries to maintain a competitive edge with such a comfortable lead.

“There’s never going to be any complacency,” he said. “I think there's always enough respect for the game of golf in the back of your mind that you've got to do everything right tomorrow. You're going to come out, have to be focused, have to play well. Obviously somebody can always really shoot a great round and therefore you've got to get around this golf course in a pretty decent score.

“Yeah, that's the mentality. I kind of have to just control what I can control from the first hole tomorrow. But I've enjoyed playing the golf course this week. I want to continue to enjoy the week as a whole, and, yeah, it's another great round in good weather on an awesome golf course.”

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