Rose has 2nd major in sights
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Justin Rose won gold in Rio. Now he would like to add a little green to his collection. Like a Green Jacket that signifies a win at the Masters.
Rose gets his chance on Sunday when the Englishman starts the final round at Augusta National with a share of the 54-hole lead with Sergio Garcia at 6-under par.
If Rose plays as well as he did Saturday, he will be tough to beat, though he will be challenged by some of the biggest names in golf in Rickie Fowler (5-under) and Jordan Spieth (4-under).
“I have an opportunity. That’s all you want,” Rose said after a brilliant 5-under par 67 in Saturday’s third round played in warmer calmer weather than the first two rounds. “But really it starts on the back nine on Sunday. A one-shot lead starting the day doesn’t mean much. You’re going to have to go out and play a good round of golf, and I think there’s going to be four or five guys pretty much with the same mindset tomorrow.”
Rose won the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion and the gold medal in Rio where golf became an Olympic event for the first time in 112 years. He was also in the final group at the Masters in 2015 when he was outplayed by Spieth, the eventual champion. He knows the kind of pressure that awaits him on Sunday when he plays in the final group with Garcia, who shot a 2-under par 70 on Saturday.
“I’m in great position going into tomorrow,” Rose said. “I have to stay positive. I have to continue to play good aggressive golf as I did today.”
Rose climbed into a share of the lead by rolling seven birdies, including five on a back nine he finished in 31. He closed with birdies at the par-5 15th, the par-4 17th and the par-4 18th where he drained an 18-footer from below the hole. He reached 14 greens in regulation on Saturday and leads the tournament with 16 birdies.
“I’ve kind of known that I’ve been playing well and been thinking well and making good decisions,” Rose said. “Today I began to feel very comfortable on the greens. Things began to click, and I had my run. So I trust in that fact. I set sort of a positive goal going forward to start making some birdies.”