Rose wins WGCHSBC Champions as Johnson implodes

SHANGHAI: World number one Dustin Johnson imploded as 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 on Sunday.

The Englishman Rose, who started peratures, Johnson started with two bothe concluding day joint fourth, fired geys to immediately give the chasing a final round 67 to finish 14- underpack hope on the par-72 course. par 274 and somehow emerge victoJohnson, who triumphed at the rious from a nail- biting four- way Sheshan Golf Club in 2013, failed to fight that also included Henrik get his putter going all day and was meStenson and Brooks Koepka. ticulously pegged back by a combina

The trio of a demoralized tion of Rose, Stenson and Koepka. Johnson, and Stenson and Koepka There was a moment of levity when finished tied in second. a black swan invaded the course.

Johnson was chasing a sixth presBut the heat was really on the 33tigious World Golf Championship year-old Johnson when he carded an( WGC) title and looked to have put other bogey at the par-three 12th and himself out of sight on Saturday Stenson made birdie. evening with a handsome six- shot Johnson’s good friend Koepka and lead on fellow American Koepka in last year’s runner-up Stenson were now second overnight. a scarcely believable two shots behind.

But on another blustery day, this time With the skies becoming gloomier, accompanied by smog and cooler tem- Johnson was crawling to the finish line.

The 2016 Olympic champion Rose, playing in the group ahead, sunk birdies at 11, 13 and 14 to join Koepka and Stenson in hunting down Johnson.

Reigning US Open champion Koepka whittled Johnson’s oncehealthy lead down to a wafer-thin one shot with a birdie at the par-five 14th.

Another birdie chance went begging 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 pursuers sensed blood when he carded bogey and Rose and Stenson catapulted over him into the joint lead with two holes to play.

Rose made another birdie at the 17th and made his way to the final hole one shot ahead of Stenson, with Johnson having tumbled to third and Koepka fourth.

Rose signed off with par at the 18th and then faced an anxious wait for the other three to finish.