SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Standing above a greenside bunker at TPC Scottsdale’s difficult par-4 11th hole, Rickie Fowler turned just in time to see his ball, one he had just placed after penalty, trickle into the water.

Fowler had already seen his share of bad luck at the Phoenix Open. Now balls were rolling into hazards on their own.

Unable to catch a break, Fowler took it upon himself to create his own.

Fowler shook off a bizarre triple bogey on No. 11 with clutch shots down the stretch, finally winning the tournament Sunday that had twice eluded him.

“I didn’t think it would be easy, but the way I was playing this week, I thought it would have been easier,” Fowler said. “It was kind of grind it out. I had a couple of tough breaks and had to deal with the punches – a couple big ones – but it feels good now.”

After a pair of 64s and a 65, Fowler shot 3-over 74 in the final round on a soggy Sunday at TPC Scottsdale, highest by a winner in tournament history. He finished at 17-under 267 to beat Branden Grace by two shots for his fifth PGA Tour title.

Fowler had another over-par round with a 54-hole lead – he’s 7 for 7 there – but birdied two of his final four holes to win from the third-round lead for the second time, with the 2017 Honda Classic the other.

65th ➡️ 7th in the #FedExCup. pic.twitter.com/lWy7vfCa0q

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 4, 2019

Fowler also had a double bogey on the par-4 fifth hole, becoming the first PGA Tour player to win with a double bogey and triple bogey or worse since 1983.

“He really dug down and pulled it off,” Grace said.

David Hearn (72) of Brantford, Ont., tied for 33rd at 6-under 278. Adam Hadwin (72) of Abbotsford, B.C., tied for 44th at 4-under 280.

Wasn’t the weekend I was hoping for but overall it was a great week at the @WMPhoenixOpen! Thanks for a great week. I feel my game is moving back in the right direction! #GreenestShow #WMPO

— David Hearn (@HearnDavid) February 3, 2019

Fowler has experienced his share of heartbreak at the Phoenix Open. He had the 54-hole lead last year and shot a 2-over 73 to finish six shots behind Gary Woodlandr. In 2016, Fowler blew a two-shot lead with two holes to go before losing in a playoff to Hideki Matsuyama, twice hitting it into the water on the drivable par-4 17th.

None of it compared to what happened to him Sunday.

Leading by four to start the day, he was up five shots stepping onto the tee on No. 11. The lead was one after a bizarre sequence of events at the long par 4.

With rain picking up, Fowler hit his approach shot right of the green and his chip skipped past the flag into the water, incurring a two-shot penalty. He dropped next to a bunker and, as he stood on the green surveying his next shot, his ball rolled back into the water without being touched.

PGA Tour rules official Slugger White determined Fowler’s ball was in play after the drop, so he was assessed a one-shot penalty. Fowler got up-and-down from there, knocking in a 17-foot putt for triple-bogey 7 – his seventh double bogey or worse when playing with a 54-hole lead.

“That was a big kind of turnaround,” Fowler said. “At worst I make bogey with a semi-decent chip and I’m still very much in control of the tournament. But with everything that happened there, that was a (four-) shot swing pretty quickly. It sucks, but it’s just kind of put that behind me.”

Grace made a 50-foot birdie putt just ahead on the par-3 12th and they were tied at 15 under when Fowler couldn’t get up-and-down from the bunker on the same hole. Grace went up one with a 3-foot birdie putt on No. 13.

Fowler refused to cave.

He reached the par-5 15th in two from 239 yards out and his two-putt birdie pulled him into a tie for the lead. Grace then pulled his tee shot into the water at the short par-4 17th, hit his third shot into the bunker after a penalty and took a bogey, giving Fowler a one-shot lead.

Fowler drove the green on the 336-yard 17th and two-putted for birdie to stretch his lead to two shots.

The drama didn’t end there.

Grace got up-and-down for par from short right of the 18th green, finishing at 15 under after a 2-under 69.

Fowler pulled his tee shot on 18 left, landing in the tall grass between the church pew bunkers. He hacked the ball out short of the green and got up-and-down for the long-awaited victory.

“I think he’s going to get more out of something like that, showing resilience and coming back like that, as opposed to going out there and winning by four or five,” said Justin Thomas, who finished third, three behind Fowler after a 72.

Maybe in the future. Right after the round, Fowler was wiped out after the emotional roller coaster.

“I never want to go through anything like that again,” he said. “That was not fun.”

As you have heard, a historic reworking of the Rules of Golf came into effect on Jan. 1.

To gain a better understanding of how it affects recreational golfers like me, I invited Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s director of Rules, competitions and amateur status, to play nine holes with me at my home club. While the round is fictional—it is minus 8 in Central Ontario and Midland G&CC is snow-covered as I write this—the new Rules are anything but.

The intent and, in my opinion, well achieved, is to make the Rules more understandable and relevant for everyone who enjoys the sport. A new Player’s Edition of the Rules and an app for your smartphone make it easy to play by the new Rules. Visit www.golfcanada.ca/rules

Hole #1 (395-yard downhill par-4)

As usual, I crank my drive into the heavily wooded area on the left of the fairway. Although, again as usual, I am sure I will find it, Helmer reminds me I now have three minutes, not five as under the former Rule, to locate it. Nevertheless, with the unwarranted optimism that has always defined my game, I decline to hit a provisional and we walk down to the bush. No luck after the prescribed three minutes. I start the walk of shame back to the tee to accept the stroke-and-distance penalty. Wait, says Helmer, now there’s an alternative. Your club has decided to institute a Local Rule which allows you to drop a ball in the nearest fairway under penalty of two strokes so you don’t have to hike back to the teeing ground.  Ball lost. Time saved. The foursome behind us applauds the new Rules. You guys owe Helmer a beer. So do I.

Hole #2 (178-yard par-3 with water in front and to the left of the green)

Indecisive over club selection (I’ve only been a member here for 30 years), I come up short and my ball dribbles into the hazard, not quite in and possibly playable. Oops, says Helmer, that’s no longer termed a “hazard,” but now called a “penalty area,” pointing out I now can ground my club, make practice swings touching the ground or growing objects and I can remove that pine cone or any other loose impediment near the ball.

Hole #3 (well-bunkered 290-yard uphill par-4)

Instead of taking the 5-iron and laying up to the 100-yard marker, I try to impress Helmer, knocking the driver into one of the four bunkers protecting this (theoretically) drivable par-4. My ball is right up against the lip of the bunker and with my sand game being what it is, I ask Helmer what my options are. With a penalty of one stroke, I can drop the ball inside the bunker or, under the new Rules, drop it outside the bunker, taking a two-shot penalty.  Additionally under the new Rules, you can remove loose impediments and touch the sand (provided you’re not testing the condition of the sand). You are still prohibited from touching the sand during a practice swing, or right in front or behind the ball and during your backswing for your stroke.

Hole #4 (389-yard dogleg-right par-4)

One of the toughest tee shots on the course to a kidney-shaped green that slopes severely from back to front and left to right. Uncharacteristically, I mash a drive but then hit a mid-iron to the back left of the green. Did I mention the pin position was front right? As I stand over the putt, I ask Helmer to tend the flagstick. Are you sure, he asks. Under the new Rules, you can leave the flagstick in. I gratefully accept his advice. And, if my putt had come anywhere near the hole, I am sure it would have hit the stick and gone in.

Hole #5 (419-yard uphill par-4)

A nest of bunkers on the right always makes me err to the left where, of course, my ball is somewhere in the deep rough. As we are searching, I step on my ball and move it. No penalty under the new Rules!  Just replace it where it was originally or estimate the spot if it’s unknown.

Hole #6 (344-yard dogleg-left par-4)

Finally on a hole in regulation, only to discover that someone has dragged their shoes across my line of putt, making my putt more of a guessing game than Plinko. But, as Helmer points out, the new Rules allow me to tamp down these and other man-made damage to the green. Which I do. And miss the putt anyhow.

Hole #7 (195-yard par-3)

Hook the tee shot into the trees left of the green. My imagined recovery shot, a low-running 4-iron off the back foot to inches, hits the only tree in front of me and ricochets off my bag. No penalty under the new Rules, says Helmer, even if it had hit me.

Hole #8 (401-yard par-4)

My approach shot lands on the cart path to the right of the green. I take the proper relief and then start to drop the ball from shoulder height, as under the old Rules. Wait, says Helmer. The new Rule says you must drop the ball from knee height.  Which I do. And then double-hit the ball. No penalty under the new Rules!

Hole #9 (402-yard uphill par-4)

As we wind up our round, I walk over to shake hands with Helmer and accidentally move my ball marker on the green. No problem under the new Rules. Just replace and carry on.

We walked our nine holes in well under two hours thanks in large part to a commitment to “ready golf,” a practice that is emphasized under the new Rules.

To learn more about the new Rules of Golf, visit www.golfcanada.ca/rules.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Rickie Fowler had the lead heading into the final round last year at the Phoenix Open, only to see the title slip through his grip for a second time.

He will have a big cushion in his third bid to win the championship following a stellar display of golf.

Fowler had eight birdies in a 7-under 64 on Saturday at TPC Scottsdale to take a four-shot lead over Matt Kuchar into the final round.

Fowler opened with four birdies in six holes and navigated a difficult two-putt on the par-4 18th hole to reach 20-under 193.

Now it’s time to finish it off.

“This one is definitely high on the list, another being Torrey Pines,” Fowler said. “I would say between here and there, those would be the two highest on the list other than a major.”

Kuchar shot a bogey-free 65 to put himself in position for his third victory of the wraparound PGA season. He has been par or better in all 19 rounds this season, winning the Mayakoba Classic and Sony Open.

Justin Thomas, who started one behind Fowler, shot 65 and was five back of his friend and desert roommate.

Branden Grace and Byeong Hun An were at 13 under on a day golf said goodbye to one of its most distinctive voices.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot an even-par 71 to finish the round in a tie for 26th at 7 under.

Saturday’s third round was the broadcasting finale of NBC lead golf analyst Johnny Miller’s career.

Miller followed a Hall of Fame playing career with three decades of calling it the way he saw it, regardless of what the players thought of him. Wanting to spend more time with his family, the 71-year-old Miller decided to call it quits after the Phoenix Open, where he won twice to help earn the nickname “Desert Fox.”

NBC played multiple tributes to Miller during Saturday’s coverage and on-course announcer Roger Maltbie’s voice cracked as he talked about his friend.

“I appreciate the people out there. I do my commentating for you,” Miller said. “I’m glad you accepted my form of commentating, which was not normal. It was a little rough at first, but it’s just been a pleasure, the friendships I’ve made.”

Fowler had the 54-hole lead at last year and fell flat in the final round, shooting 73 to finish six shots behind champion Gary Woodland. He also lost in a playoff in 2016.

Fowler put himself in position for a third run at the title with a superb round of golf.

He had a one-shot lead over Thomas after closing with four birdies for a 6-under 65 in Friday’s second round. Fowler made an eight-foot birdie putt on 18 to reach 13 under and quickly added to it on Saturday, dropping in an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-4 first hole.

Fowler, who shot 64 in the opening round, added birdies on Nos. 3, 5 and 6 to reach 17 under, but had a par putt lip out after he hit into the greenside bunker at the par-3 seventh. He hit his approach to two feet for birdie at No. 9, turning in 4-under 31, and followed a birdie at the difficult 11th with a two-putt birdie on No. 13.

Fowler reached 20 under with a birdie on the short par-4 17th for a nice cushion heading into what’s expected to be a rainy final round.

“I’ve done a good job of kind of everything this week,” he said. “Nothing’s standing out as super special, just playing solid golf and when I’ve gotten into trouble, being able to get up and down most of the time.”

Playing in the group ahead of Fowler, Thomas and Grace, Kuchar had three birdies for a 3-under 32 on the front nine and rolled in a nine-foot birdie putt on the 167-yard 12th hole. He two-putted for birdie on the par-5 13th and made a five-foot birdie on 15 to reach 16 under.

Kuchar missed a good opportunity on No. 17, sliding a six-foot birdie putt past the hole, but finished with a nice save from the greenside bunker on No. 18.

“It would be amazing to get three wins this early,” Kuchar said. “It had been a number of years since I found the winner’s circle, so to have gotten two in this year has been amazing.”

It may take an amazing round of golf to catch Fowler.

Following a record turnout in 2018, RBC has renewed its partnership with the PGA of Canada as title sponsor of the PGA Scramble.

The three-year agreement sees the financial institution remain as title sponsor of the RBC PGA Scramble alongside presenting sponsor, The Lincoln Motor Company.

“We couldn’t ask for a better partner than RBC for this amazing, expanding national event series,” said PGA of Canada CEO Kevin Thistle. “RBC’s commitment to the game of golf in this country is fantastic and we look forward to growing the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada in communities across Canada for years to come.”

The RBC PGA Scramble of Canada saw nearly 9,000 golfers from across the country participate in 2018 – an increase of over 60 per cent from the previous year. The 21 teams who participated in the 2018 PGA Scramble National Final at Cabot Links—which are comprised of four amateurs and a PGA of Canada professional—all made it through local and regional qualifying events.

As one of the largest amateur golf competitions in Canada, the 2019 edition of the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada looks to see continued growth, with estimates that more than 10,000 golfers from across the country will participate in the series of local and regional events next summer.

“We‘re thrilled to renew our partnership with the PGA of Canada and support the RBC PGA Scramble in providing amateur golfers with an experience of a lifetime,” said Shannon Cole, Senior Director, Brand Marketing, RBC. “This tournament is a real opportunity to bring together golf enthusiasts from across the country and enable them to have a shared experience at some of Canada’s best in class golf courses.”

For those golfers who qualify, the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada National Final promises to be the golf trip of a lifetime. The 54-hole championship at one of Canada’s premier golf venues will be part of a larger festival of special events, which includes prizing, activations and a chance to interact with celebrities.

For more information about the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada presented by The Lincoln Motor Company, please visit rbcpgascramble.com.

Ben Silverman didn’t have to look up his pairings for the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open last Sunday. His phone began vibrating as soon as they were announced.

Silverman was paired with golfing great Tiger Woods for the final round of the PGA Tour event in a trio with Scott Stallings. Silverman, from Thornhill, Ont., was inundated with texts from friends and family thrilled that he would be playing alongside the legendary Woods for the first time in his career.

“I had about 20 or 30 messages within about two hours of the tee times being released,” said Silverman. “Everybody already knew. My wife gets the text messages directly from the PGA Tour so she knew right away.”

There are pros and cons to playing a round of golf with Woods. It was exciting to watch the 14-time major winner up close, but the massive gallery that trails Woods from hole to hole can be a distraction.

Silverman shot a 3-over 75 on Sunday to finish the tournament tied for 62nd at 2 under. Woods (67) moved 28 spots up the leaderboard in the final round to tie for 20th at 10 under and Stallings (72) tied for 43rd at 5 under. Justin Rose won the event by two strokes, firing a 21-under par overall.

The key thing Silverman took away from the experience was the way Woods exudes confidence.

“He expects to hit a good shot every time, he expects to have a chance to make birdie, and he expects to make the putt,” said Silverman. “That attitude, the way he’s approaching everything, he doesn’t care whether he’s on the easiest hole of the course or the hardest hole of the course.

“That changed my perspective a little bit because he’s trying to win every single shot he’s playing. I thought it was pretty cool to see and witness first hand and that’s the kind of attitude that helps you win 80 golf tournaments.”

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., played with Woods in Saturday’s third round. It was Hughes’s second time playing with Woods, as they had been paired with each other for the 2018 Players Championship.

That previous experience helped Hughes feel more comfortable playing alongside Woods, but he agrees with Silverman that there’s nothing quite like it.

“You definitely can feel that energy and that confidence,” said Hughes, who finished the Farmers Insurance Open tied for 29th at 8 under. “He carries himself like a guy who’s won a lot and knows how to do it.

“You just feel like you’re in the middle of an arena, like there’s only you two out there. It’s the wildest thing ever. You feel like you’re in a tournament within a tournament.”

Tiger Woods & Mackenzie Hughes (Getty Images)

An unexpected perk for Silverman was the handful of security guards that keep a watchful eye over Woods. Although protecting Woods was their duty, they would also help clear out crowds if Stallings’ or Silverman’s shots went off line. At one point Silverman needed a bathroom break and the security detail was right there to guide him through the massive crowd.

As beneficial as that personal entourage was, it’s Woods’s strong psychology that’s going to stick with Silverman.

“I think I’m just going to remember those mental lessons I took away from playing with Tiger and take that attitude into the tournament,” said Silverman. “I played the Monday qualifier for the Phoenix Open with that attitude and it was definitely a much different way to approach shots and the course and I liked it a lot.”

Silverman did not quality for the Waste Management Phoenix Open and will next play at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California.

Hughes will be joined at the event in Phoenix by fellow Canadians David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., as well as Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C.

“If I can just drive it a little bit better, I mean I’m driving it pretty well, but if I can find just a few more fairways, that’s going to add up better scores,” said Hughes. “I’m feeling good about my prep and how my game is progressing. It should be a pretty good week, I like the course a lot.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR announced today that current Vice President of Marketing Partnerships, Alexandra “Alex” Baldwin, has been named President of the Web.com Tour. With the announcement, Baldwin becomes the first female in history to lead one of the PGA TOUR’s six global Tours as President.

Dan Glod, who has served as President of the Web.com Tour since January of 2017, has been elevated to Senior Vice President, Global Sponsorship Strategy and Development in a corresponding announcement.

“We are excited to announce Alex as the new President of the Web.com Tour in what is a watershed moment for our organization,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “In her role as Vice President of Marketing Partnerships, Alex has spearheaded our efforts to provide increased value to our PGA TOUR partners and I know she will have that same level of success on the Web.com Tour. We thank Dan Glod for his tremendous leadership with our partners, tournaments and membership over these last two years and know the Web.com Tour has a great foundation which Alex can continue to build upon.”

Baldwin joined the PGA TOUR in 2017 as Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, where she was responsible for co-leading the Marketing Partnership team and overseeing key partner account teams including Morgan Stanley, Dell, Omni Hotel and Resorts and United Airlines, among others. In addition to spearheading partner oversight, she negotiated extensions and new programs with partners including Avis, MD Anderson, Rolex and Citi.

“I am thrilled for this opportunity to lead the Web.com Tour while drawing on years of experience in golf, sports and business,” said Baldwin. “The Web.com Tour is a tremendous avenue through which we’re able to develop the next generation of PGA TOUR stars, and I’m eager to learn as much as possible about our partners, tournaments and communities as we look to build on the Tour’s incredible 30-year foundation.”

We've announced the first female Tour President in @PGATOUR history.

Welcome aboard, Alex Baldwin! https://t.co/FMtA5x3mUl

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) January 30, 2019

Prior to joining the PGA TOUR, Baldwin was a Corporate Consulting Executive at CAA Sports in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, working with major brands on their strategy and activation plans in sports and entertainment. During that time, she worked strategically with Waste Management and the Waste Management Phoenix Open as well as Synchrony Financial, CVS Health and Concur among others.

For 10 years prior to joining CAA, Baldwin was with Boston-based Fenway Sports Management, consulting clients and driving sales efforts around premier golf properties, including the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Baldwin’s career began in 1992 as an intern with International Management Group (IMG), where she eventually rose to agent, representing the likes of LPGA stars Karrie Webb and Suzann Pettersen, as well as PGA TOUR winners Brad Faxon and Carlos Franco.

The Web.com Tour’s Country Club de Bogotá Championship begins tomorrow in Bogotá, Colombia. The event is the third of 27 tournaments on the Tour’s 2019 schedule, which will conclude with the sixth-annual Web.com Tour Finals in August and September.

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. and ST ANDREWS, Scotland  – The USGA and The R&A have released the 2018 Annual Driving Distance Report, containing driving-distance data from seven men’s and women’s professional golf tours around the world. This is the fourth annual distance report issued by the game’s governing bodies, completed in an effort to monitor current trends in driving distance.

The 2018 data show that driving distances on these seven tours increased by an average of 1.7 yards, beyond the previous year’s gain of more than 3 yards.

The full report, which can be found via this link, summarizes data provided by the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, PGA European Tour, Ladies European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR Champions Tour based on available data at the time of publication. Introduced in 2015, the report includes data starting with the 1968 PGA TOUR season.

The average driving distance is typically measured on two holes at each tournament and usually results in nearly 40,000 shots being measured over the course of a season on some tours.

The USGA and The R&A continue to be diligent in studying the long-term effect of distance on the game of golf, a global focus first expressed in their Joint Statement of Principles delivered in 2002.

In that document, the organizations reinforced their commitment to ensure that skill is the dominant element of success throughout the game, and that all factors contributing to distance would be considered on a regular basis.

The 2018 report represents one set of data among the already substantial collection of information currently being studied within the context of the ongoing Distance Insights project, which was launched last May to provide a comprehensive and definitive study of the past, present and future impacts of distance at all levels of the game globally.

A progress update on work conducted to date on the Distance Insights project will be delivered by the end of the first quarter of 2019. The USGA and The R&A remain on target to distribute the comprehensive Distance Insights report in the latter half of 2019.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Two Canadians have secured spots in this week’s PGA Tour stop through qualifying.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., survived a four-man playoff for the final three spots in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Hamilton, Hearn and Americans Max Homa and Nick Hardy all shot seven-under 65 in the Monday qualifier before returning to the course Tuesday morning for the playoff. Hardy was eliminated on the first hole of the playoff.

Hearn and Hamilton join Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., in the tournament, which starts Thursday.

While Hearn has partial status on the PGA Tour, the 25-year-old Hamilton never has been a member of golf’s top circuit. He split time last year between Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.

Hearn and Hamilton have qualified for the @WMPhoenixOpen ????

They join fellow Canadians Mackenzie Hughes, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin in the field ??

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) January 29, 2019

SAN DIEGO – Justin Rose missed a short birdie putt that felt like another bogey. His three-shot lead was down to one through six holes of the Farmers Insurance Open, and the biggest battle was trying not to panic.

That’s when he scratched a line on his scorecard after six holes, wanting to start his round from that moment forward.

And he gave himself a pep talk.

“You’re No. 1 for a reason. Just start playing like it, please,” he said.

And he did.

Rose followed with a perfect wedge to a right pin that led to birdie, the first of five birdies the rest of the way for a 3-under 69 and a two-shot victory Sunday over Adam Scott at Torrey Pines. It was his 10th straight year with a victory worldwide, including his gold medal from the 2016 Olympics, and his 10th career PGA Tour victory gave him the most of any player from England, breaking a tie with Nick Faldo.

Rose finished at 21-under 267, the lowest 72-hole score at this event in 20 years, and the warm, windless weather had a role in that.

“Twenty-one under around Torrey Pines is great golf,” Rose said. “But you had to do it. It felt like I had to work hard for his.”

Scott left him little choice. After not making a birdie until the ninth hole – and missing a 20-inch par putt on No. 5 – Scott closed with four straight birdies and kept the outcome in doubt until Rose hit wedge to 3 feet on the 18th hole for his last birdie.

“I just didn’t have the game on the front nine, and it’s a shame because Justin was a little shaky early with some bogeys,” Scott said. “By the time I got it sorted out, it was a bit too late.”

Rose became the first player to post all four rounds in the 60s since Peter Jacobsen in 1995, back when the North and South courses were 700 yards shorter. Weather aside, this was an exquisite performance, especially with his three penalty shots on Saturday, and opening the final round with three bogeys in five holes.

Hideki Matsuyama closed with a 67 and tied for third with Talor Gooch, who shot 68. Gooch, who finished fourth last week in the Desert Classic to get into this event, earned a spot in next week’s Phoenix Open. He is playing this year on conditional status.

Jon Rahm was never a factor after pulling within one shot with that birdie on No. 6, which turned out to be the only one he made all round. He shot 72 and tied for fifth with Rory McIlroy (69) and defending champion Jason Day (67).

Tiger Woods had to settle for his own version of winning. Starting the final round 13 shots behind, Woods wanted to get into double figures. He birdied his last two holes for a 31 on the front nine to shoot 67 and finish at 10-under 278. He tied for 20th in his 2019 debut.

“Got to have these little goals when I’m not in contention to win a tournament,” Woods said. “Still something positive to end the week on.”

Mackenzie Hughes (70) of Dundas, Ont., was the top Canadian, finishing in a tie for 29th. Adam Svensson (75) of Surrey, B.C., dropped down the leaderboard Sunday, closing in a tie for 35th. While Nick Taylor (72) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Ben Silverman (75) of Thornhill, Ont., ended up in ties for 43rd and 62nd, respectively.

The timing was ideal for Rose, who takes pride in winning every year. The last time he won in January was in South Africa in 2002, the first of his 22 victories worldwide. But it goes beyond that.

Rose dedicated the victory to his caddie, Mark Fulcher, who had a heart procedure last week and was watching from home. Rose used Gareth Lord, who previously caddied for Henrik Stenson and knows Rose well from Ryder Cup partnerships.

“Probably harder than the heart surgery itself, watching this weekend,” Rose said. “This one’s for him.”

It also was his first victory since signing new equipment deal with Japanese-based Honma, leading Rose to switch out everything but the golf ball.

Even though Rose never lost the lead, and led by at least two the entire back nine, there were a few key moments.

He got up-and-down from delicate spots to save par on the 13th and 14th hole, and made an 8-foot par putt on No. 15 with Scott in tight for birdie, keeping the lead at three shots. On the par-3 16th, Rose holed a 30-foot birdie putt, right before Scott followed him in for birdie from 20 feet. And then Scott closed the gap to two shots with an approach inside a foot on the 17th, giving him a chance on the 18th.

The Australian missed his tee shot on the par-5 18th into a bunker and had to lay up, and Rose effectively ended it with his wedge to 3 feet. Scott also made birdie, a great finish that barely allowed him to make up any ground. His 269 was the same score Woods had in 2008 when he won at Torrey Pines by eight shots. Only four other scores have been lower since this event moved to Torrey in 1968, all of them before it was beefed up ahead of the U.S. Open.

“He’s the No. 1 player in the world, and he’s showing why,” Scott said.

SAN DIEGO – Justin Rose tracked the flight of his 3-wood until he saw it splash into the pond guarding the 18th green at Torrey Pines. He walked a few steps and pulled his cap down over his eyes, the look of a man who had just made a crucial mistake at the wrong time.

Not really.

This was only Saturday.

Rose wasn’t happy that he finished up the third round with a bogey at the Farmers Insurance Open, but it didn’t take away from a game so strong that having his lead cut in half over the closing five holes was no cause for alarm.

Even with three penalty shots on the day, Rose still managed a 3-under 69 and a three-shot lead, the same margin with which he began the day.

He’s playing that well.

Adam Scott had the low round of the week on the South course with a 65, which pulled him within three shots and it still felt like a consolation.

“As good as I’m playing, I feel like I’m a long way behind,” Scott said.

Rose had six birdies and an eagle that more than atoned for his mistakes. Even with two double bogeys and the bogey on the par-5 18th, he still matched the 54-hole tournament record at 18-under 198, last set by Tiger Woods in 2008.

As for that bold attempt to go for the green?

He had an 8-iron from the first cut of rough to play it safe until he saw Ryan Palmer comfortably reach the green. Rose went to the 3-wood, knowing it could come out heavy, and that’s what it did.

“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.”

Jon Rahm had a 68 and was four shots behind, followed by 22-year-old Doug Ghim, the former No. 1 amateur playing this week on a sponsor’s exemption. Ghim shot a 67.

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 and in search of moral victories in his 2019 debut.

He was at 5-under 211.

“I think if I can get to double digits (under par), it would be just a nice way to end the week,” Woods said. “I’ve got to play a little better than I have.”

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., was the low Canadian, firing a 3-under 69 to enter a tie for 11th at 10 under. Mackenzie Hughes (70) of Dundas, Ont., was in the same group as Woods and finished the round tied for 36th at 6 under. Nick Taylor (72) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Ben Silverman (72) of Thornhill, Ont., were in a group tied for 48th at 5 under.

Scott was the only player to give Rose a serious run, and it didn’t feel like much.

Starting the day seven shots behind, Scott opened with an 8-foot birdie and then holed out from 103 yards for eagle on the next hole. He added four birdies in a five-hole stretch at the turn and delivered the low round of the tournament on the South course.

And he still wondered if it was enough.

“It’s almost all up to him tomorrow,” Scott about Rose, his neighbour in the Bahamas. “So that’s no pressure on me. But this is not a course I can go out and just fire at pins. It’s too easy to make big errors. I’ll just have to chip away and see if he can do the same.”

Rose made plenty of errors, though he atoned for them with plenty of exquisite shots.

After starting with two birdies through three holes, Rose pulled his shot from a fairway bunker on the fourth hole into the hazard well left of the green, and he missed a 10-foot putt to make double bogey. He answered with two birdies and an eagle on the par 5s, reaching all of them in two, and appeared to be sailing along until he pulled his shot out of a bunker on No. 14 into the hazard for a second double bogey, and then found the water on the final hole.

Scott said he would not be thinking about winning overnight, not with Rose the player he is chasing.

Rose is No. 1 in the world, with five victories in the last 14 months and a game that is not showing many weaknesses.

“He’s just playing too good,” Scott said. “He’s the No. 1 player in the world, he’s played well for over two years. He’s feeling it. He wants to take advantage of all of his good golf and that’s why he’s running away with this thing.”

Scott said the one positive about his position is only one player is front of him.

Rose has a 3-6 record when he has the lead going into the final round on the PGA Tour, and he knows now to take anything for granted, even the way he’s playing on a strong South course. Rose and Scott are longtime friends, while Rahm won at Torrey Pines two years ago and has an explosive game, opening this event with a 62.

“I expect Jon and Adam to come out and play well tomorrow, as well as the chasing pack,” Rose said. “But one of those guys is capable of something in the mid-60s. Obviously, if I go out and shoot 68, then that’s a great round of golf.But a 68 on the South course isn’t anyone’s to lose. You have to go out and get it. I think it’s going to take a good round of golf tomorrow to get this done.”