That’s Tea-licious!
ROSE DRINKS IN THE RECORDS JOVAN SOMETHIN’ ELS
‘I felt it was a beautiful morning to play golf’
sure another day on the range is going to do me any good.
“It was lovely to get the crowd going and hear the crowd support me. I hadn’t had a lot of momentum from the crowd all week and today it started to change. That was very enjoyable.
“I felt like it was a beautiful morning to play golf. I felt like it was a typical set-up for a moving day today – so it was nice to make that move. I really just kept pushing myself to keep going. Keep going.
“One mental error around here, one bad bounce, one poor tee-shot leads to a bogey or a bunker at the wrong time.
“But I kept it together mentally. I just concentrated well. And I felt a bit more in control with my game and my swing, too.”
Rose could not have imagined himself smashing records when he faced that Friday birdie putt at the last which flipped his Open fortunes upside down.
He added: “I have gratitude just to be here. I think the first couple of days were hard work. I think the birdie on 18 freed me up.
“And I’m just happy to be out on this golf course and not somewhere else this morning. So that might have been part of the shift in mindset.
“I had nothing to lose from that point of view. Now we need the tide to change and the winds to pick up. And tomorrow it’s forecast to blow pretty hard.”
What is the betting then that on-fire Rose will blow them all away again and figure in the final shake-up? JOVAN REBULA left the Open with the biggest smile despite finishing 16 over.
The South African amateur (left) loved every minute of his debut and won praise from his famous uncle, Ernie Els.
Rebula, 21 today, said: “I just had so much fun. The score doesn’t matter but playing in a tournament my uncle once won was very, very special. I can see myself one day competing with this guys. I am just excited with what the future holds.”
Rebula’s next big date is at Auburn University, Alabama, in September where he will study business and sports coaching.
Els said: “I am proud of the way he conducted himself all week.”
TONY STENSON