That left the pair on 15 under par and four shots clear of India’s Anirban Lahiri, with fellow Indian Jeev Milkha Singh and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick a shot further back.
Advertisement
Rose, 31, went two shots ahead at the 16th and despite a bogey at the final hole, only his third dropped shot all week, it was enough to ensure victory as the 24-year-old Bjerregaard failed to force a playoff and finished with 69 for a 16-under 264.
“He’s really good at keeping me grounded and lightening the mood if I get too serious or nerves start showing up, he’s really good at helping me with that”. “I actually didn’t know much about his game and first, he’s a lovely guy and second, he can really play”.
Rose edged in front with a birdie on the second, but Bjerregaard immediately hit back with birdies at the next two holes to move into a lead which he held until three-putting the eighth.
Rose battled with Bjerregaard at the top of the leaderboard throughout the weekend and was impressed with how the Dane kept up the pressure over the final two rounds.
“So not the way I wanted to finish, but still, I’m very happy with the round today”.
“I was more nervous last night just thinking about going out and playing against him”.
He added: “Lucas played incredible golf”.
Rose, however, showed his class and continued his remarkable knack for staying out of trouble with only two bogeys all day. I didn’t play the first hole particularly well but made a nice 15-foot putt for par there and then eagling the third kind of got me up and running.
Poulter, who made a last-minute journey from Orlando to play this week in order to help maintain his European Tour membership, finished at five under after a closing 69.
Rose’s European Ryder Cup teammates Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter, both of whom had been hoping for strong performances, ended with five and six under par respectively, putting McDowell in tied 24th place and Poulter in joint 29th overall.
Advertisement
Bjerregaard, who picked up his fourth top-10 finish in the last month, saw his chances fade with a double bogey on the par-four 14th.
