And Rose rounds it off at the golf
BRITAIN’s Justin Rose made history last night as he became the first golfer to win gold in 112 years after it was re-introduced as an Olympic sport for Rio.
The 36-year-old won a thrilling battle with sweden’s Henrik stenson that went to the 18th and final green of the Olympic course, with both men 15 under par in front of a packed gallery.
But it was the Briton who held his nerve to clinch victory after stenson left him with two putts for the gold.
As the ball dropped in the hole to huge cheers, the crowd rose to their feet, roaring their approval while Rose punched the air in delight and then hugged his caddy.
There was a kiss too for his wife Kate, who had walked round every hole with Rose during all four rounds of a tournament many of the world’s top players had shunned. It was Kate who had been part of the inspiration for Rose to take part in Rio, where golf returned to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.
‘That felt better than anything I’ve ever won. It was the best tournament I’ve ever done,’ said Rose. ‘Hopefully we’ve shown Brazil what golf is about. I’m glad it was close. Not for my nerves. For golf. The whole week has been incredible. Representing Team GB and feeling like you’re bigger than just your individual sport is just incredible.’
Earlier on it had looked like a play-off would be needed to separate the two men but Rose held his nerve on the par-five last, chipping his approach to two feet from the hole, while stenson’s spun away to around 20 feet.
The swede then raced his birdie putt eight feet past the hole and missed the return to allow Rose the luxury of two putts for victory. He needed just the one. It was the perfect outcome following the realisation of a seven-year dream to compete in Rio for Rose, who secured Britain’s 12th gold medal of the Games.
Earlier, golf fans had been left shocked when a spectator appeared to pick up Rose’s ball after he had driven it into the crowd. The woman lifted it and then realising her mistake, dropped it again.
In the build up to Rio, there were concerns that golf was being undermined at the Olympics by the withdrawal of many of the world’s leading players. Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Jordan spieth were among those who pulled out citing fear of catching the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to brain defects in newborn babies and Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.