"You've got to play chess," - Harris English on why he thrives in thick rough after Farmers Insurance Open 2025 win

Harris English won the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open and described how he survived on the thick rough. The Farmers Insurance Open witnessed disruptive weather conditions at Torrey Pines and a tricky course that hackled many golfers through the four days.

English, who was at T7 after the second round, gradually pulled his game up through the third round and got the lead position after the third round with 9 under. He retained his place in the fourth round navigating all the challenges and finally won the tournament title.

Following the fourth round, English joined a press conference, where he was asked to reflect on how he played better on tough setups. To which, he responded, via tee scripts:

“It kind of goes back to when I was a kid like playing in the U.S. Juniors, the U.S. Amateurs, I loved those big-time golf courses with thick rough. You've got to play chess out there, it's not some of these golf courses where to me is kind of a dart test and a putting contest. Tests like this, you've got to miss in the right spots, you've got to grind out there and pars are good and that's kind of all you're trying to do.

“I don't know what it is, I just love U.S. Open-type setups and Torrey Pines has always been one of my favorites. It's definitely kicked me in the teeth before because if you're not hitting it. well, if you're not missing in the right spots, you're not going to play well. I've had really good success here and I've had where I'm not beating anybody based on how you're playing. So I love setups like this.”

English's last victory came in the 2021 Travelers Championship, where he finished with 13 under 267. This year, he missed the cutline at the Sony Open and finished at T43 at the American Express.

How did Harris English perform in the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open?

Harris English finished with 8 under at the Farmers Insurance Open after four rounds of play. He shot 68 in the first round with three birdies on the front nine and three on the back nine. In the second round, he scored 73 with only one birdie on the last nine.

In the third round, English shot 66 with three birdies on the front nine and four on the back nine. Finally, in the fourth round, he scored 73 with only one birdie on the front nine. Talking about his triumph, the golfer said:

“Yeah, it's the first I've slept on a lead in a long time. I don't really know if I've done that in my PGA TOUR career. It's never easy. You think it would get easier being in this position a lot, then winning four times out here, but it never gets easier.”

Sam Stevens finished second on the tournament leaderboard with 7 under and Andrew Novak scored 6 under to finish third.