The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Rose bags Euro golfer of month
Justin Rose has been named the European Tour golfer of the month for October after setting up a thrilling conclusion to the Race to Dubai with a spectacular victory at the WGC-HSBC Champions.
The Englishman produced the biggest comeback of the season to win his ninth European Tour title on a dramatic final day in Shanghai.
He was eight shots behind Dustin Johnson when he teed off and remained six behind at the turn before producing five birdies in a back nine of 31 to get to 14-under and finish two shots ahead of Johnson, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and the reigning US Open champion Brooks Koepka.
Rose subsequently went on to claim a second title in as many weeks at the Turkish Airlines Open in the first week of November to climb to second place in the Race to Dubai behind the eventual winner, his fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood.
The DP World Tour Championship was a superb advert for the European Tour.
It looked like Justin Rose was going to follow up his recent wins at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China and the Turkish Airlines Open with victory in Dubai and pip Tommy Fleetwood for the Race to Dubai order of merit.
The Englishman went into the final round with a one shot lead and was on course for victory until dropping shots on the 12th, 14th and 16th.
But he was unable to hole an eagle putt on the 18th to overtake Fleetwood in the Race to Dubai standings after finishing tied fourth.
It was a riveting watch that went all the way to the final green.
Justin deserves a huge amount of credit for competing for the Harry Vardon Trophy.
He only played 12 events on the tour this season – half as many as Tommy – but he was only a putt away from winning the Race to Dubai.
We have had a great season on the European Tour and I felt that was an exciting way for it to end.
I was delighted for Tommy. He is a close friend and I wanted him to finish the job as he has been at the top of the order of merit for most of the year.
It would have been hard for him to have had that number one spot taken away on the very last day of the 2017 season.
However Tommy, Justin and Sergio Garcia, the other man who was in with a shot at winning the Race to Dubai, can be delighted with their 2017 seasons.
Tommy has given the rest of the guys who play on the tour the belief that if you make a strong start to the season you can get on a roll and be up there challenging for the order of merit title.