Harris English closed with three consecutive birdies at the South Course to take a one-shot lead at 9-under at the Farmers Insurance Open.

“Just managed my game really well. I wouldn’t say I hit the ball great starting out, but missed it in the right spots and then leaned on my short game and made some really good putts to save par starting out. Kind of got the round going, start hitting some really good iron shots and making some putts, getting some momentum,” said English.

“I felt like I hit the ball really well on the back nine. I don’t think I really hit many fairways, but to me I hit the ball really well. I mean, 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 and kind of have a yellow light pin of not being aggressive, too. I feel like I picked my spots really well today and it’s nice when you’re seeing some putts go in.”

“Had some really good numbers on those last three holes and sometimes you’ve just got to be aggressive when you have really good numbers. It’s nice to finish like that, some good momentum heading into tomorrow,” he continued.

“I know it’s going to be tough, it’s going to be a grind. This course is really tough, one of the toughest we play on Tour. You’re going to miss some fairways, miss some greens, but you’re going to have to make some tough putts and keep yourself in the game.”

English has won four times in 339 starts on the PGA Tour, most recently at the 2021 Travelers Championship in an eight-hole playoff. He holds the 54-hole lead/co-lead for the fourth time on Tour, most recently at the 2021 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational where he finished fourth.

The American finished No. 55 in the FedExCup Fall standings in 2024 to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs for the 11th time in his first 13 seasons on Tour.

American Andew Novak shot a bogey-free 66 to move into second place at 8-under.

Novak seeks his first PGA Tour title in his 89th start. His best finish on Tour so far was runner-up at the 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

South African 20-year-old rookie Aldrich Potgieter holed out from 173 yards with a 8-iron at the par-4 12th for eagle and made a single bogey to sign for a 67 and move into third place at 7-under.

The youngest Tour member in the 2025 season, he could become the youngest winner of the Farmers Insurance Open.

American Lanto Griffin held a share of the overnight lead but closed with a 73 and slipped down into a share of fourth place at 5-under alongside compatriot Joel Dahmen (70), Korean K.H. Lee (68) and Germany’s Matti Schmid (68).

Ludvig Åberg who had been in the lead since the first round signed for a 74 and currently lies in T8 at 4-under.