Harris English Leads Farmers Insurance Open Heading into Final Round

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Harris English surged into the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open on Friday, carding a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke advantage into the final round at Torrey Pines Golf Course. English, a four-time PGA Tour winner, finished strong with three consecutive birdies to reach 9-under 207, edging ahead of Andrew Novak and rookie Aldrich Potgieter.

English, who last won at the 2021 Travelers Championship, has a history of success at Torrey Pines. He narrowly missed victory in a four-man playoff at the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open and finished third at the 2021 U.S. Open held on the same course. “I’ve played this place for a long time now, and I feel like I know where to miss it, where to be aggressive and where to be patient,” English said. “It’s nice when you’re seeing some putts go in.”

Novak, who is seeking his first PGA Tour win, matched English’s 66 on Friday, staying bogey-free to sit at 8-under 208. Potgieter, a 20-year-old South African rookie, is in contention at 7-under 209 after an impressive round that included an eagle on the par-4 12th. “Par 3s probably aren’t my strongest out of the pars, but I was hitting the ball a lot better today,” Potgieter said. “I put myself in good spots to hole some putts.”

The tournament, which began Wednesday, will conclude Saturday to avoid conflicting with the NFL’s conference championship games. The final group, featuring English, Novak, and Potgieter, is set to tee off at 2:11 p.m. ET. Coverage will air on Golf Channel from 2-4 p.m. ET and on CBS from 4-8 p.m. ET, with streaming available via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App.

Other notable players in the mix include Ludvig Aberg, who struggled with illness during the third round, and Hideki Matsuyama, who sits at 3-under 213. The Farmers Insurance Open has a history of dramatic finishes, and with favorable weather expected for Saturday, the stage is set for an exciting conclusion.