Rio de Janeiro: Britain’s Justin Rose became the first Olympic golf champion in 112 years Sunday, outdueling Sweden’s Henrik Stenson in a tension-packed final-round thriller Sunday for a historic gold medal at Rio.
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Rose shot a final round 67, while Stenson’s 68 saw him hold on for second place and a silver medal, two shots adrift.
“Having won it, now I’d love to see golf have a great legacy in the Olympics and carry on”, he said. Tied with Stenson through 71 holes, Rose hit a pitch shot from 39 yards to 6 feet on 18.
Rose is the first gold medalist in golf since George Lyon of Canada won against a field of mostly Americans. 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. Belgium’s Thomas Pieters, who had the agony of finishing fourth, was one of many to say it was “the best week” of his golfing life. “That’s what I think about rather than the pressure on me”. “It was the best tournament I’ve ever done”. “My heart started pounding out of my chest”, Kuchar said. No man ever has defeated the top three seeds on the way to a gold, but 2009 US champion del Potro sure came close before winding up with a silver to go alongside his bronze from 2012.
Stenson put his long putt past the hole and missed his next shot to card a bogey six. Then when I actually got down to Rio and experienced the whole vibe of the Olympics, to come out of it with a medal is incredible. “I certainly targeted it and went after it and therefore feel really proud of it, but it’s an opportunity that hopefully they’re going to take in 2020”.
And to think he wasn’t even booked for Rio until a peculiar set of circumstances. It’s time to get yours, ‘ ” Rose said.
He might have done even better, but he three-putted on the 16th and left a 17-foot birdie putt short on the 18th to finish with a 13-under 261.
“I pretty much just need the multiple major now, but for the most part, I’m there on that quote”.
With McIlroy and Shane Lowry pulling out, Padraig Harrington and Seamus Power were Ireland’s Olympic representatives in the men’s golf tournament. “Obviously a lot of golfers didn’t have that so maybe it was a little slower for some of the golfers, but I think certainly the next generation of golfers will probably grow up thinking of the Olympics as a pinnacle of golf”.
That would mean golf governing bodies working up a new solution sooner rather than later for campaigns when the Olympics could pinch two major tournaments, the tour playoffs and the Ryder Cup.
“All three (Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar) represented their counties, as well as the game of golf, very well”.
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Fowler’s team mate Bubba Watson also worked his way up the standings although a muddy putter that distracted him cost him a shot on 14th green.
