England’s Rose wins Shanghai WGC thriller

WORLD No1 Dustin Johnson imploded and Justin Rose stormed back from eight shots behind overnight to win the $9.75 million WGC-HSBC Champions by two strokes in a thrilling finale in Shanghai yesterday.

England’s Rose, who started the concluding day joint fourth, fired a 67 to finish 14-under-par 274 and somehow emerge victorious from a nailbiting four-way fight that also included Henrik Stenson and Brooks Koepka.

A demoralised Johnson finished tied second with Stenson and Koepka.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve won, or at least it feels like that,” said Rose, 37, whose stunning 5-under on the back nine propelled him to victory.

Rose (pictured with the trophy, AFP) has won an event every year since 2010, including at the Olympics last year.

“This is my only win in 2017. Left it late this year, but it feels amazing.”

Johnson was chasing a sixth prestigious World Golf Championship ( WGC) title and looked to have put himself out of sight on Saturday evening with a handsome six-shot lead on fellow American Koepka, who was second overnight.

But on another blustery day, this time accompanied by smog and cooler temperatures, Johnson started with two bogeys to immediately give the chasing pack hope on the par-72 course.

Johnson, who triumphed at the Sheshan Golf Club in 2013, failed to get his putter going all day and was meticulously pegged back by a combination of Rose, Stenson and Koepka.

The 33-year-old, who hit a 77, said the wind made for tough conditions but he did not use that as an excuse.

“I didn’t make any putts. I felt like I rolled it good, just nothing was going in,” he said. “I felt f ine a l l day, I just could never get any thing going and didn’t hole a ny putts. It was pret t y simple.”

There was a moment of levity when a black swan invaded the course.

But the heat was really on Johnson when he carded another bogey at the par-three 12th and Stenson birdied.

Johnson’s good friend Koepka and last year’s runner-up Stenson were now a scarcely believable two shots behind.

Rio Olympic pic champion Rose, playing in the e group ahead, sank birdies at 11, 1, 13 and 14 to join Koepka and d Stenson in hunting g down Johnson.

Reigning US Open champipion Koepka whitt l e d Jo h ns s o n’s once healthy y lead down to a waferthin one shot ot with a birdie at the e parfive 14th.

Another birdie chance went nt beg- ging for Johnson at the 15th, but at least he was able to smile about it. But not for long as Rose made a seventh birdie at the 16th to draw level in the lead. Johnson’s horror day unravelled further when he found the bunker with his tee shot at the par-four 16th. His pursu pursuers sensed blood when he ca carded a bogey and Rose and S Stenson catapulted over him i into the joint lead with two ho holes to play.

Rose m made another birdie at th the 17th and made his way to the final ho hole one shot ahead of St e nson, wit h J o h n s o n h a v i n g tu tumbled to third a and Koepka fourth. R Rose signed off with p par at the 18th and the then faced an anxious wa wait for the other thr three to finish.