Justin Rose had a shot on Sunday to win the Open Championship but fell short and settled for a runner-up finish.
Justin Rose issues genuine authentic message to fans after runner-up finish at The Open
Rose fell short at The Open to Xander Schauffele, but that did not stop him from being the class act he is.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
The Englishman put himself in the mix through the front nine, but then his putter went cold. Rose signed for a 4-under 67 with five birdies and one lone bogey.
Despite falling short, Rose posted a heartfelt message congratulating Xander Schauffele on his second major win and thanking his fans for their support.
“Congrats Xander... A two-time major champ and deservedly so,” Rose wrote. “I felt I stood tall and gave it a good go today and all week long. I walked off the 18th hole after each round, feeling I got something out of the day. Thanks for the support out there. Means a lot!! The dream of the jug is still alive.”
After his round, Rose showed a lot of emotion.
“It hit me hard because I was so strong out there today,” he said. “I played the way I wanted to today.”
“Did a lot of the hard things really well on the golf course today... I hit a couple of really good putts that didn’t fall, and then that lead stretched. I left it all out there. I’m super proud of how I competed.”
Rose went out in 33 strokes after he made three birdies on the front, but then all the momentum left the tank once he hit the back nine.
He made par save after par save along the most brutal stretch of holes.
Rose lost the Claret Jug by a mere few feet of putts.
He missed a 9-footer for birdie on 13 by six inches and an 18-footer on the 14th for birdie by seven inches. The former U.S. Open winner missed his birdie putt on 15 by a foot.
Rose had a 51-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th after he hit the driver off the deck to reach the green in two. Instead, he settled for a three-foot birdie.
Rose finally got the ball to its home on 18 as the veteran Ryder Cup member made an impressive 15-footer for birdie. It secured him a runner-up finish alongside Billy Horschel and a hefty payday.
Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
Rose did not have any regrets Sunday, though. He left it all on the course.
“That’s the deal I made with myself today to come off with no regrets,” he said. “I’ll have a few more chances... You want to walk off the golf course going, I didn’t squander that. I ran putts at the hole today... I felt super comfortable out there, and the fact that I haven’t been in contention much this year gives me a lot of heart.”
Rose is a good sport and a genuine human being—the definition of a class act. Although the tournament did not end in his favor, he still found the strength to congratulate the winner and express his emotions.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
