Justin Rose ‘holds back tears’ after Xander Schauffele wins British Open
TROON, Scotland — It looked like a must-make putt for Justin Rose as he tried to keep pace with Xander Schauffele on No. 12 at Royal Troon on Sunday.
Rose knelt down to take a closer look and stepped toward the ball. The 21-foot shot looked good and the crowd was ready to explode. The ball, however, caught the left side of the cup and flew away.
Rose threw his putter into the air, catching it as he fell. His dream of winning the British Open was shattered, and Schauffele powered to title.
Rose’s only bogey of the day put him one shot behind Schauffele and two shots behind then-leader Thriston Lawrence.
The 43-year-old Englishman, who carried the hopes of the country in search of a champion, has never caught up.
“It was a critical moment in the middle of the last nine, momentum-wise,” he said. “Obviously, Xander got the game going. I made a couple of really good putts that didn’t fall, and all of a sudden the lead was wide.”
Schauffele birdied the next two holes to take the lead. They both took a shot on the 16th, but it was settled when Rose birdied the final hole to shoot a 4-under 67.
Rose finished tied for second with Billy Horschel with an overall score of 7 under par, two shots behind Schauffele.
Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, briefly led by one shot Sunday after birdieing the par-5 fourth hole. He received plenty of support from the home fans. There was even a guy braving the Firth of Clyde support Rose.
“In terms of my game and execution of my emotions today, my mindset, I gave it my all. I’m very proud of the way I competed,” he said.
Finishing his weekend with a birdie was “being a professional,” he said.
“Ten steps later, I’m holding back tears. That’s the change. Yes, it’s personal, and I’m also enjoying the 18th with the fans. I think it’s an incredible stage,” he said. “For me, it’s the best spectacle in golf, those two long stands that you walk in and the big yellow scoreboard. That’s what I associate with a magical moment.”
Rose was not considered a favourite at the start of the week. In fact, he had dropped out of the top 50 in the world rankings and had to go through a qualifying tournament to earn his place at the Open, where he also shared second place at Carnoustie in 2018, when Francesco Molinari won.
“I’ll have a few more chances, of course, but you know it’s a great opportunity today. You want to walk off the golf course and say, ‘Yeah, I didn’t waste that,'” he said.
“I was able to make putts on the hole today. I feel like I had opportunities. I feel like I took a lot of them,” he added. “But I felt super comfortable on the course, and not being in contention this year really gives me a lot of courage.”
___
