On a sun-drenched final day, in front of a sell-out crowd at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course, Rose added the Olympic crown to his 2013 US Open title after a prolonged and exciting battle down the stretch with Sweden’s Henrik Stenson.
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With the 18th-hole grandstands in his sights, Rose led by a stroke on the 15th – but he narrowly missed a putt that would have kept pressure on Stenson, leaving him to watch as Stenson sank his own short putt.
American Matt Kuchar shot a tournament-low round of 8-under 63 on Sunday to take third place at 13-under, 271.
North Hampshire golfer Justin Rose held off the challenge of Open victor Henrik Stenson to win Olympic gold in Rio yesterday.
An event dimmed by the decisions of more than 20 players to stay away, including world number one Jason Day of Australia and the entire world top four, provided plenty of excitement and spectacular shotmaking as the gold hung on a knife’s edge all day.
Justin Rose plays from the sand during the final round of men’s golf in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Olympic Golf Course on August 14.
“I was in a great fight with Henrik, a good friend of mine, and it took world class golf to win today so I am very proud of the achievement and I’ve just got to let it all soak in now”.
“The whole week I’ve been so focused, I’ve been so up for it”, Rose added. I’ve been so into it.
“I pretty much just need the multiple major now, but for the most part, I’m there on that quote”. Stenson’s pitch from 50 yards came up short, just more than 20 feet away, then Rose delivered what amounted to the victor.
“He said to me, ‘All right dad, I got my medal”.
Stenson s ball hit the green and spun well back from the cup. I would have never imagined myself to be in this position. Stenson ran his 22-foot birdie attempt eight feet past the hole, then missed his comeback putt for par and settled for bogey and a round of 68.
Many have criticised golf’s reinstatement to the Olympics, arguing that it does not deserve to be there given that it already has four events – the majors – that are already widely acknowledged as the pinnacle of the sport.
The notion that second place is first loser doesn’t apply in the Olympics, and that’s what stood out to Rose. It is really a dream come true. I made it a big deal in my year and I had the benefit of walking in the opening ceremony and watching other sports, which was all part of the plan.
After having gone to the final hole tied with Rose, Stenson cracked at the final hole with a poor chip, leaving the door open for the Brit, who surged to victory with a tap-in birdie following a majestic chip.
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That is where Rose made his move, clipping what he described as a “magical” pitch to less than a meter from the hole after Stenson had left himself a long birdie chance. I can’t say it was purely down to that but it was not helping, put it that way.
