Final-green birdie sees Rose close in on Fleetwood

Justin Rose resisted the temptation to make a lastminute change of plans after winning back-to-back events for the second time in his career to pile pressure on Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood.

Seven days after overturning an eight-shot deficit to world No 1 Dustin Johnson to win the WGC-HSBC Champions, Rose came from nine behind at halfway to claim an 11th European Tour title in the £5.3 million Turkish Airlines Open.

A closing 65 gave the Olympic champion a winning total of 18 under par, a shot ahead of Ryder Cup team-mate Nicolas Colsaerts and South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli.

Rose holed from 10 feet on the 18th for his third birdie in four holes and then saw playing partner Colsaerts, who had birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th, unable to make it four in a row from two feet closer.

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington needed to eagle the last to make the play-off but had to settle for fourth place on 16 under, with defending champion Thorbjorn Olesen a shot further back.

Fleetwood finished in a tie for 23rd and saw his lead of more than a million points over Rose slashed to just 134,839 with two events left, although Fleetwood is contesting both while Rose sits out the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City.

“I’ve put myself in a predicament about next week, I didn’t fully anticipate being so close to Tommy,” Rose said. “But I just know that I need to go and play well in Dubai.

“That’s been my mentality from the outset and it’s not going to change, but it’s exciting to be within touching distance.

“(Playing) four in a row is not something that I do. I feel like by the fourth week you’re hoping to play well, not knowing you can.”

Justin Rose with the trophy.