Justin Rose snatches victory at WGC-HSBC Champions
By Ali Stafford
SKYSPORTS.COM
Justin Rose, with rounds of 67, 68, 72 and 67 for a 14-under-par total of 274, capitalised on a final-round collapse from Dustin Johnson to snatch a remarkable victory at the WGC-HSBC Champions.
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THE FINAL TOTALS
SCROLL DOWN TO THE END OF THE ARTICLE TO VIEW ALL
THE FINAL TOTALS
The Olympic champion overturned an eight-stroke deficit to claim a two-stroke win at Sheshan International Golf Club, posting a five-under 67 to claim a first victory of 2017.
Johnson took a six-shot lead into the final round, but missed out on the chance of becoming the first player to win three World Golf Championship title in a calendar year after stumbling to a bogey-filled 77.
The world No 1 finished in a share of second spot on 12 under alongside Henrik Stenson and Brooks Koepka, who birdied the last to close a one-under 71.
Overnight leader Johnson bogeyed the first and lost his ball on his way to a dropped shot at the next, only to be handed back his advantage when Koepka posted back-to-back blemishes from the third.
Rose birdied the second and third and cancelled out a dropped shot at the sixth with a gain at the next, only to card consecutive bogeys from the eighth to find himself six back at the turn.
Stenson made successive gains from the sixth to get within three of the lead, while Koepka put pressure on Johnson by birdieing the first two holes of his back nine.
Johnson gave the chasing pack another lifeline when he dropped a shot at the 12th, allowing Koepka to close the gap to one with a birdie at the par-five next.
Three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the 11th lifted Rose to two off the pace alongside Stenson, who cancelled out a blemish on the same hole with a birdie-two at the 12th.
As Johnson dropped another shot at the 15th, where Koepka racked up a double-bogey, Rose grabbed further birdies at the 16th and the 17th to grab a one-shot advantage.
Rose posted a two-putt at the last to set the clubhouse target at 14th, leaving Stenson and Johnson - who also bogeyed the 16th - needing a final-hole eagle to force the play-off.
Stenson went left off the tee and was forced to lay up on the par-five, as Johnson found water with his approach to guarantee Rose his first victory since last year's Rio Olympics.
Rafa Cabrera Bello shared fifth spot with American duo Kyle Stanley and Peter Uihlein, while Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood finished in a tie for 20th after closing with a two-over 74.
ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
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