Farmer's Insurance Open Underway: Schenk, Thomas, Rahm Leaders

SAN DIEGO, CA —Spaniard Jon Rahm and Americans Adam Schenk and Justin Thomas shared the lead started Friday's third round with Cameron Tringale one shot back.

Golfers took to Torrey Pines Friday to enter the third round of the $8.4 million Farmer's Insurance Open. Winds were breezy in the area to start the day, though inland San Diego was under wind advisory and dust warnings due to gusting Santa Anas.

None of that would cloud the day for golfers making their mark at the Open. The final two rounds of the tournament will be played on the South Course. The winner will receive $1.512 million.

Schenk shot a career-low 10-under 62 on the North Course Thursday with eight consecutive birdies from the fourth through 11th holes. Schenk also birdied the 16th and 17th holes to drop to 13-under 131 for the tournament.

"I lost track of how many I made in a row," said Schenk, who turned 30 Wednesday. "There was a lot of low scores on the North Course yesterday and I knew there was a lot of gettable holes and I needed to keep going if I wanted to get up on top of the leaderboard and hopefully stay there throughout the weekend.

"So I know I had to try to keep the pedal down and not get satisfied with how many birdies I made."

Schenk said he had his best putting round ever, sinking "a lot of long putts."
Rahm, the world's top-ranked men's golfer, birdied three of his first four holes and three of his last four for a 7-under 65 on the North Course, after posting Wednesday's best score on the South Course, a 6-under 66.

Jon Rahm of Spain discussed his progress.

"I managed really well today and it feels good because if you tell me before the round I'm going to hit four fairways and shoot 7-under, I'd tell you that something out there must have been really good, which today was," Rahm said. "For how little fairways I hit, I was able to hit a lot of those greens from the rough, which is not the easiest thing to do."

Thomas fired a bogey-free 9-under 63 on the North Course.

"I drove it well, made some nice putts when I needed to, just kind of some of those short mid-rangers, and it was a solid day," Thomas said.

Cameron Tringale hung just south of the leaders at the end of the second round.

Tringale shot a 7-under 65 on the North Course, with six birdies, an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole and a bogey on the par-4 18th.

First-round leader Billy Horschel dropped into a five-way tie for 12th, five shots off the lead with a 1-over 73 on the South Course.

Xander Schauffele, a San Diego State and Scripps Ranch High School graduate and 2021 Olympic gold medalist, shot a par-72 on the South Course to fall nine shots off the lead at 4-under 140 in a 12-way tie for 50th.

The field was reduced to the top 70 players and ties following the conclusion of the second round.

Phil Mickelson, who was born and raised in San Diego and now lives in Rancho Santa Fe, was among the players missing the cut, which was at 3-under 141.

Mickelson shot a 1-under 71 on the North Course for a two-round total of 3-over 147.

Stay tuned for further coverage of this tournament.

City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.