Los Angeles: Justin Rose kept the accelerator down on Sunday, firing eight birdies in a six-under par 64 to win the Fort Worth Invitational by three strokes from Brooks Koepka.
With his ninth US PGA Tour title, Rose matched Nick Faldo for the most by an English golfer since the US Tour began keeping records in 1983.
Leading by four to start the round, 2013 US Open winner Rose was never threatened as he won his second US tour title of the season with a 20-under par total of 260 — one shot off the tournament record.
“I’m a little speechless to be honest with you,” said Rose, who said it was a “hard week” in the 100-degree (38C) Texas heat.
“I couldn’t be more proud,” he said.
Reigning US Open champion Koepka, playing in the final pairing with Rose on the par-70 Colonial Country Club course, started the day four strokes adrift and his seven-under 63 only saw him gain one shot as he finished in solo second on 263.
For both it was a more than encouraging performance with the 2018 US Open teeing off at Shinnecock Hills on June 14.
“I would love to be more confident on the greens — wouldn’t we all,” Rose said of any specific improvement he’d like to make in his game.
But he was delighted to see work on his game paying off.
“This week was a big step in the right direction, taking the range game to the golf course,” Rose said. “You see your progress on the range long before you see it on the course.”
Rose opened with back-to-back birdies and after a bogey at the third he birdied three in a row from the fifth through the seventh. After birdies at nine and 11 he rolled in a 26-footer for birdie at 15 and saved par from a bunker at 16.
An anti-climactic bogey at the last proved irrelevant, with Koepka dropping a shot there, too.
That was the only blemish on Koepka’s card, after eight birdies that included a hole out from a bunker at the sixth. Koepka also birdied the par-five 11th — a hole where he made double-bogeys twice this week.
Emiliano Grillo of Argentina, who began the day tied for second, carded a six-under par 64 for third place on 264.
“It’s been a great week for sure,” he said. “I just had to fight with two guys in the top 10 in the world. They showed up today.”
American Kevin Na, who held the 18-hole lead after a first-round 62, went one better with a course record-tying 61 on Sunday.
“I played amazing today,” Na said after posting nine birdies without a bogey. “I struck it beautifully. Made a ton of putts.”
Na birdied the second, third, fourth and eighth to make the turn in 31. Back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11 were followed by another brace at 14 and 15.
Needing an eagle at the 18th to break the course record, Na nearly holed out from 146 yards, tapping in for birdie.
— AFP
