“I couldn’t see the finish but I could hear how excited the fans were getting and when I was finishing I could see all of the medalists – Matt Kuchar, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose – and to be able to take a photo with the medalists was very special”, said Ko, speaking about the end of her practice round in Rio.
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Rose, who holed the first-known Olympic hole-in-one during Thursday’s opening round, held a one-shot lead going into the final round in Rio. had four birdies and one bogey in an outward nine of 32.
Turns out the golf competition mattered after all, as Rose revealed the morning after becoming the first golfer to win a gold medal since Canadian George Lyon in 1904.
This is important because players like McIlroy and Jordan Spieth and Jason Day are important to big events. Fully embracing every part of the experience made his win on Sunday just a bit sweeter.
“Oh my God. That felt better than anything I ve ever won”.
“Yeah, I did get one from Rory, absolutely”, Rose said.
“Hopefully his vibes came off to me, ” Ko said of Rose.
” The whole week I’ve been so focused, I’ve been so up for it”. I’ve been so into it. Many guys are going to win tournaments between now and the next Olympic Games, there’s going to be 16 majors between now and then, but there’ll be little old me, just bragging away about my gold medal.
It wasn’t the hundreds of text messages he received in the hours after holding off Henrik Stenson to claim Great Britain’s first gold medal in golf or the pride of pulling on his Team GB tracksuit. 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.
After holing out for a birdie four on the 18th, Rose punched the air in celebration and fell into the arms of his wife, Kate, before savouring the medal ceremony. Of his fancy new necklace, Rose said, “It sits alongside the U.S. Open trophy for me for sure”.
But the players who did come to Brazil have nearly universally spoke of their enjoyment at being part of the Olympic movement. Rose scored at 67 points to close the last round.
Justin Rose really threw himself in to this and as soon as it was announced that golf was returning to the Games, as it was clear to see that he wanted to be on that plane.
“He said to me, ‘All right dad, I got my medal”. He went 6 under during a six-hole stretch capped by a 15-foot eagle on the 10th hole to get him in the mix, and his wedge to 2 feet for birdie on the 17th put him one shot behind.
Stenson’s ball dug into the putting surface and spun back toward the front of the green, before the Englishman stiffed his pitch to two feet for a kick-in birdie.
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He said he drew inspiration from the United States’ performance in the tennis bronze medal match in men’s doubles that he attended on Friday. “I told them both, ‘I don’t think I ever woke up at 7am to watch someone else play'”.
