What a place to make your breakthrough and finally fulfil all that promise you
showed as a 17 year-old when you stood at Royal Birkdale with your arms
aloft. Merion is America’s golfing museum and Rose has joined its gallery of
legends.
On the 18th, Rose’s drive finished a few yards from Ben Hogan’s plate, from
where that golfing genius hit that one-iron to win the US
Open.
Essentially needing a par to win, Rose hit a majestic four-iron, which rolled
past the pin on to the fringe of the green. Nervelessly, Rose took a
three-wood and hit it to an inch. There was one person in his mind.
His father, Ken, died of leukaemia in 2002. The old man would have known that
with Phil Mickelson in behind, anything was still possible. But the
left-hander was doomed to his sixth runner-up finish at his national
championship.
Mickelson could not force the birdie at either the 17th or 18th and Rose’s
glory was complete. He hugged his caddie, Mark Fulcher, and then his wife,
Kate.
Rose, who beat Mickelson in a critical singles match at last year’s Ryder Cup,
was inevitably to be depicted in America as the man who ruined the
fairytale. But his own narrative is also framed by tinsel.
Rose came fourth in the Open as their skinning teenager, but missed 21 cuts
when he turned professional straight afterwards as the dream so quickly
became a nightmare. He has recovered from that and from a few slumps since
and claimed the trophy that many claimed at Birkdale was his birthright.
So one of England’s golden generation has finally prevailed and did so in
circumstances that required ultimate skill and nerve to negotiate. Rose
scored his level-par 70 for a one-over total to beat Mickelson and Jason Day
by two shots under excruciating pressure.
He had to ignore the deafening roars of Mickelson holing from 76 yards to grab
the lead on the 11th and then also fend off the challenges of another
American in Hunter Mahan and the brilliant young Australian Jason Day.
Goodness knows where this could take Rose next; apart from into the world’s
top three, that is. After this experience nothing will be beyond him. He did
not only beat the best, he beat what felt like the whole of America.
As both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy left the premises, on 13-over and 14-over
respectively, what seemed the entirety of Pennsylvania was cheering on
Mickelson. The grandstand overlooking the driving range sang Happy Birthday
to the 43-year-old as he went through his routine and everything was set for
America’s darling finally to win the US Open on Father’s Day after a record
five runners-up finishes.
Would the golfing gods oblige, or would they extend their patronage to Rose or
Luke Donald, who both began two shots behind Mickelson? Would they grant
England not only its first major winner since Sir Nick Faldo at Augusta in
1996 but its first US Open since 1970?
Mickelson was destined to be the lead character whatever the outcome. He
double-bogeyed the third on his way to an outward half of 39 and his army of
devotees groaned.
But then came a classic “Phil the thrill” moment, when, from the supposedly
unplayable Merion rough, he flicked up a wedge and saw it land just over the
bunker and roll up and into the hole. In celebration Mickelson reprised his
famous leap when he broke his major duck at the 2004 Masters.
Mickelson returned into the lead on level par, but not for long. While playing
partner Donald was four-over through 13 holes — suffering something of a
nightmare in going out in 42 – Rose was a man inspired.
He bogeyed the brutal third and the fifth, but having birdied the par-five
fourth, the sixth when rolling in a 40-footer and then the seventh, the
world No 5 grabbed the advantage.
Then he responded to Mickelson, birdieing the 12th and holing from 20 feet on
the 13th. Rose was one clear, with Mahan and Day – who had his own
remarkable chip in on the 11th after finding the brook – in behind
Mickelson. The challenge was set and, with the rain lashing down, it was
even more stark than usual.
Saturday’s finish exemplified the difficulty of the Merion stretch. All that
talk of the modern pros crushing this classic layout at the start of the
week seemed to be on the ridiculous side of absurd. Rose bogeyed the 14th
after finding the bunker but parred the 15th.
Rose was suddenly the favourite — he hit two marvellous shots on the par four
but his approach cruelly rolled back down off the ridge and the three-putt
was almost inevitable. But a hole behind, Mahan double-bogeyed while
Mickelson used a wedge to play an impossible chip and also failed to get
down in two.
Rose was in front and when Day bogeyed the last and he parred the 17th, it was
becoming obvious that a par would be good enough.
Rose had to suffer a torrid wait until he could play his second as playing
partner Donald tried to find his drive. Rose, however, was impervious, his
mettle helping him become just the second English winner of the US Open in
92 years.
After Graeme McDowell won in 2010 and Rory McIlroy a year later, Rose’s
success means that the United Kingdom has won golf’s toughest major three
times out of the last four years.
Donald shot a disappointing 75 to finish tied eighth on six-over while Lee
Westwood shot a 73 to finish in 15th on nine-over.
They should take
inspiration from their countryman and friend Justin Rose, the boy wonder who
finally became The Man.
Nelson, who plays off +1, won the title on the back of two good scores over the third and fourth rounds, played in quite windy conditions.
