SAN DIEGO — Justin Rose had three penalties and still kept a three-shot lead Saturday with a 3-under 69 at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Rose had six birdies and an eagle on another pristine day along the Pacific Ocean, a big reason why scores have been so low this week on a South course that will host another U.S. Open in two years. When he two-putted from 12 feet for eagle on the par-5 13th, Rose led by six shots.
And then he pulled his shot from a fairway bunker into the hazard for a double bogey, his second of the round. And torn between laying up with an 8-iron or going for the green on the par-5 18th, Rose hit a 3-wood heavy from the first cut and went into the water, closing with a bogey.
That dropped his lead to three shots over Adam Scott, who birdied his last hole for a 65.
“There was a long way to go,” Rose said. “So I wasn’t really playing with the lead in mind at that point. If I was running 30th in the tournament, that was a shot I would probably hit. But yeah, it didn’t work out.”
He still tied the 54-hole tourney record at 18-under 198.
Tiger Woods had the biggest gallery and didn’t make much noise. Woods birdied three of his last five holes to salvage a 71, leaving him 13 shots behind in his 2019 debut.
EUROPEAN: American golfer Bryson DeChambeau will take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic in United Arab Emirates after shooting a 4-under 68.
Li Haotong, who is looking to claim back-to-back victories in the event, is the nearest challenger to DeChambeau after moving into second place outright with a third straight 67.
Three-time winner Ernie Els (70) and Matt Wallace (69) are two shots further back.
DeChambeau, who is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 5, is seeking his first victory overseas.
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