Rose triumphs at Colonial for ninth PGA Tour win

Justin Rose used a blistering start to cruise to his second win of the PGA Tour season with a three-shot victory at the Fort Worth Invitational in Texas on Sunday.

The Englishman, who began the day with a four-stroke lead, fired six front-nine birdies en route to a six-under-par 64 at Colonial Country Club that left him one shot off the tournament record score of 21-under 259 set by Zach Johnson in 2010.

With Sunday’s victory, Rose tied Nick Faldo for the most PGA Tour wins by an Englishman after World War II, with nine.

“I am delighted the way I played this week,” said Rose, who played the course for the first time in eight years.

Olympic champion Rose had a chance to equal Johnson’s record score but failed to convert his 23-foot (7-meter) par attempt at the last, where he carded his second bogey of the day.

US Open champion Brooks Koepka, who started the final round in a share of second place with Argentine Emiliano Grillo (64), finished alone in the runner-up spot after going one better than playing competitor Rose with a seven-under 63.

Grillo birdied two of the final three holes to finish in third place, four shots behind Rose while sizzling American Kevin Na finished a further two shots back in fourth place after he set a course record with a bogeyfree, nine-under 61.