Rose claims 11th PGA Tour victory, ends four years winless drought

Justin Rose secured his 11th PGA Tour victory after an impressive performance at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California. The English golfer, who had gone winless for four years, took a two-shot lead into the final day of competition with eight players separated by just three strokes. However, Rose pulled ahead of the pack with a superb back-nine display at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Rose started his final round from the 10th fairway and got off to a solid start with a par. Despite Brendon Todd cutting his lead to one with a birdie at the 13th, Rose was quick to respond with a birdie of his own from nearly 30 feet at the next hole. 

He then increased his lead to three shots with a birdie at the 13th and another at the par-five 14th after flicking a wedge to eight feet. The 42-year-old golfer maintained his three-shot cushion over the next three holes, finishing with a par to win by three strokes over Todd and Brandon Wu, who both tied for second place.

Rose’s win not only secured him a spot at The Masters in April but also boosts his chances of qualifying for Europe’s Ryder Cup team later this year. The victory moves him inside the top 10 of the FedExCup rankings and back to 35th in the world rankings.

The former world No 1 was delighted with his victory, saying, “One thing I have realized is obviously I haven’t been playing enough great golf, but when I do play half decent, I do give myself chances to win. It was nice today to tee off with a lead. Obviously, a win does give you a lot of belief. We always know we can do it, but sometimes you’ve got to see the proof. That [winning] does make me feel good.”

This victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am marked Rose’s first PGA Tour win since the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open. He had previously finished with top-30 finishes in his last four PGA Tour starts, which made this win even sweeter. Rose’s performance at Pebble Beach Golf Links was a testament to his skill as a golfer and his ability to come through in high-pressure situations.

Aside from Rose, other notable golfers in the competition included Peter Malnati, who finished tied for fourth place, and Denny McCarthy, who carded a joint-low round-of-the-day 64 and also finished tied for fourth. Joseph Bramlett, who was teamed with Gareth Bale during the Pro-Am competition, claimed seventh place, while Viktor Hovland and Ireland’s Seamus Power both finished tied for 13th and 15th, respectively.

Leon Osamor