Justin Rose wins Shanghai thriller as Johnson implodes

SHANGHAI: World number one Dustin Johnson imploded and Justin Rose stormed back from eight shots behind overnight to win the $9.75 million WGCHSBC Champions by two strokes in a thrilling finale in Shanghai yesterday.

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

A demoralised Johnson finished tied second with Stenson and Koepka after a horror five-over-par 77. Under normal conditions, the odds would have been on Johnson. But Rose said swirling wind blowing through Sheshan Golf Club meant the conditions were ripe to pull off the biggest comeback of his career.

“It’s the kind of day you hope for, dream for, but a lot of things need to go your way in order for a day like today to happen, coming from eight shots behind, especially going against a player like DJ (Johnson),” said Rose, 37.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve won, or at least it feels like that,” added Rose, whose stunning five under in the back nine propelled him to victory. Rose has won a title every year since 2010 if the Olympics last year in Rio are included.

“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) crown 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 in Shanghai in 2013, failed to get his putter going all day and was meticulously pegged back by a combination of Rose, Stenson and Koepka.