English Rose blooms to lead Masters at final turn
Darren Walton |
Justin Rose is halfway towards penning one of sport’s great redemption stories after seizing a two-shot outright lead halfway through his Masters final round.
A year after losing to Rory McIlroy in an epic play-off to finish runner-up for a third time, veteran Rose collected five birdies on a sizzling front nine to reach the turn at 12 under for the tournament on Sunday.
As his Australian playing partner Jason Day slipped from contention, the 45-year-old Rose surged past a faltering McIlroy and the Northern Irishman’s fellow third-round co-leader Cameron Young.
If he hangs on, Rose would be the second-oldest winner in Masters history, behind only the great Jack Nicklaus, who famously ran down Greg Norman in 1986 aged 46.
As well as last year’s heartbreaker, Rose lost in extra holes to Sergio Garcia in 2017 and tied for second behind Jordan Spieth in 2015.
A second major title to go with his 2011 US Open triumph would complete a Hall-of-Fame career for the one-time world No.1, 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist and five-times European Ryder Cup team member.
While the tournament’s sentimental favourite was charging after starting the day, like Day, three shots off the pace, McIlroy was facing the grim prospect of becoming the first – and only – man since Harry Cooper in 1936 to relinquish a halfway lead of at least five shots.
He began his final-round defence displaying a greater degree of control than he had during Saturday’s erratic surrendering of a six-shot lead, but still found himself two behind Rose after enduring a three-putt double bogey on the par-3 fourth after pulling his tee shot wildly left.
Young picked up a shot at the par-5 second as the shadow of two-time champion Scottie Scheffler was already looming after the world No.1 birdied two and three to move to nine under.
American Sam Burns briefly tied the lead on 11 under after birdieing the first but took double at the next after driving into the trees.
Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia was given a code of conduct warning for hammering the turf and smashing his driver on the second tee on his way to a 75 to finish eight over.
But the golfing gods were smiling on Rose from the get go.
He may have sensed this was going to be his day when he chipped in for birdie at the very first hole.
As Day’s hopes perished with a bogey on the fifth and a dreaded double at seven, Rose took the tournament by the scruff of the neck.
He rifled the shot of the tournament from out of the trees on No.7 to set up a brilliant birdie before grabbing the outright lead on the par-5 eighth, then shot two clear with another at No.9.
AAP