SAN DIEGO — Marc Leishman couldn’t miss, whether it was for birdie for par, as he raced from four shots behind with a 7-under 65 to win the Farmers Insurance Open when Jon Rahm couldn’t match his eagle putt from three years ago.
Leishman ran off five birdies on the front nine to seize control Sunday over a fast-faltering Rahm and Rory McIlroy. He kept a cushion with three big par saves down the tough stretch at Torrey Pines and closed with a 6-foot birdie putt that turned out to be the winner.
Rahm was 4 over through five holes, the biggest mess coming at the par-3 third when he went left into the canyon and took three shots to reach the green for a double bogey. Each time he appeared to be done, though, the fiery Spaniard charged back.
He made eagle on the par-5 13th and birdie on the next hole. After a bogey on the 15th to fall four shots behind, Rahm stuffed his next two shots for birdies. He needed an eagle on the par-5 18th to force a playoff, but his attempt from just outside 50 feet died off to the left. He closed with a 70.
Rahm won his first PGA Tour title three years ago at Torrey Pines when he closed with a 65, making a 60-foot eagle putt on the last hole that secured the victory.
This time, it was Leishman’s turn.
He matched Rahm’s 65 as the lowest closing round by a winner at Torrey Pines since the South Course was beefed up ahead of the 2008 U.S. Open.
McIlroy, needing a victory to return to No. 1 in the world, started three shots behind in the final group and made two early bogeys.
Much like Rahm, he stayed in the mix by playing his last five holes on the front nine in 5 under. He couldn’t make up enough ground, however, as he shot 69 and tied for third with Brandt Snedeker (68).
Tiger Woods, trying to set the PGA Tour record with his 83rd career victory, never got anything going. He had to settle for a 70 and tied for ninth, six shots behind.
Leishman finished at 15-under 273 to capture his fifth PGA Tour title.
LPGA: Madelene Sagstrom won the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio for her first LPGA Tour title, birdieing the par-3 17th to tie for the lead and winning with a par when Nasa Hataoka missed a 3-footer on the last hole in Boca Raton, Florida.
Sagstrom finished with a 2-under 70 for a 17-under 271 total.
EUROPEAN TOUR: Lucas Herbert marked Australia Day in his native country by capturing his first professional title, beating Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff at the Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates.
Both players shot 4-under 68s to come from way back in the field and finish at 9-under 279.
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