Rose strikes Olympic Gold

South African-born Justin Rose became golf’s first Olympic champion in over 100 years, as the Brit outlasted British Open champion Henrik Stenson, in a brilliant advert for the game in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.

On a sun-drenched final day and in front of a sell-out crowd of 12,000 at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course, Rose added the Olympic crown to his 2013 US Open title after a prolonged and exciting battle down the stretch with Sweden’s Henrik Stenson.

In the end, the packed grandstand which turned the 18th arena into a noisy sporting amphitheatre, watched spellbound as Rose got up-and-down from the side of the green for the birdie which sealed a worthy gold medal performance.

Stenson, who knew he needed to hole a 25-footer of his own to force a play-off, three-putted and the first Olympic golf competition since 1904 had a new champion.

Stenson, who emerged on top after a similarly epic shoot-out with Phil Mickelson in The Open at Royal Troon last night, had to accept second place this time.

But the silver medal was a deserving reward for the Swede’s part in a wonderful spectacle and so was the bronze for Matt Kuchar of the United States, who vaulted to third with a course record-equalling last round of 63.

Rose finished with four rounds in the sixties and his closing 67 put him at the top of the podium with a 16-under-par total of 268.

Stenson took silver with a fourth-round 68 for 270 and Kuchar’s swashbuckling last day brought home the remaining medal on 271.

South Africa’s Jaco van Zyl fired rounds of 71, 74, 80 and 71 to finish two over 286, however, the 14-time Sunshine Tour winner also put his name in the history books when he holed out from 173-yards at the par-3 eighth hole for an ace in the third round.

Van Zyl hit a perfect iron which landed softly and nearly hole-high before rolling a few feet to the right, directly into the cup.

“I loved it the minute it was off the face,” said Van Zyl, who received a commemorative fountain pen for his achievement. “I hit it to three inches there in the first round, and I said to my caddie that it would be special to do it in the Olympics. It is a feeling that will never go away. I pushed it and got a result.”

It wasn’t the first time for Van Zyl, either, who has had 15 aces, with nine in tournament play.”

Compatriot Brandon Stone finished at nine over 293 with rounds of 71, 74, 70 and 71.

The leading three players completed the 72-hole test detached from the rest of the field, in which Belgium’s Thomas Pieters finished a highly creditable fourth after slicing 12 shots off his third-round 77 with a final day 65.

After holing out for a birdie four on the 18^th, Rose punched the air in celebration and fell into the arms of his wife, Kate, before savouring the medal ceremony as the Olympic golf champion.

“Olympic gold medallist…it sounds absolutely incredible,” said the 36-year-old.  “I was on that last green, just sort of pinching myself and taking myself back to the quote that I had given about the Olympics all along – that I hoped my resumé one day read: ‘multiple major champion and Olympic gold medallist’. If that happened then I’d be a very, very happy man.  I pretty much just need another major now, but for the most part, I’m there on that quote.

“The whole week, I’ve been so focused, really, to be honest with you.  I’ve been so into it.  I’ve been so up for it.  I’ve been just so determined, I suppose, to represent Team GB as best as I could, and it was just the most magical week, it really was.”

The final round in Rio delivered the anticipated head-to-head between two outstanding major champions. And both men held a narrow lead at different times as they exchanged birdies.

It seemed that Stenson might repeat his Open victory at Royal Troon when he edged in front due to a Rose bogey at the 13^th, but he handed back the initiative to the Englishman when he bogeyed the 14^th and Rose knocked in an eight-footer for birdie on the 15^th.

Despite both men missing the green at the last, it was Stenson who blinked first, hitting a weak chip to 25 feet while Rose struck a deft chip close to the hole for a cast-iron birdie four.

Stenson recognised the quality of the golf on display on the final day and admitted: “When you’re in good position to try and win, you always kind of feel a little disappointed afterwards.  But at the same time, we said that all along in the Olympics, you’ve got some pretty good consolation prizes.

“I guess if you would have asked me before the week that I would leave here with a medal, I would have been pretty pleased and I managed to do that.  I’m quite happy, I didn’t feel like I played my absolute best throughout the week but I played good enough to put myself in contention and that was my goal.  Once I was up there, I played pretty well but I needed to play one or two shots better to win it today. “

Rose paid tribute to his rival and friend by saying: “I just said today that I had to out‑Stenson Stenson.  I knew I wasn’t going to get much from him at all.  Obviously the bogey at the last only came because he had to force the putt in.

“But he is unbelievable.  He’s relentless and a great player, and I can’t wait to be on the same team as him in The Ryder Cup.  He’s a great player and he’s a great friend, and I just gave him a hug on the 18th green and he was as gracious as ever. I just said to him, ‘Great summer – winning The Open Championship’, I was so pleased for him.  There are very few guys are you really genuinely, genuinely happy for, and Henrik is one of them.”

Bronze medallist Kuchar just came up short, despite equalling the record 63 set by Australian Marcus Fraser on Thursday. Had he not three putted the 16^th and failed to birdie the 18^th, he might just have grabbed another colour of medal.

The American Ryder Cup player said: “It’s just an amazing week. It’s a boyhood dream come true. I keep expressing the feeling of sheer pride.  I knew when I was out there playing that I was in third place.  I certainly didn’t want to lose that but also wanted to keep pushing forward.

“While I was out there, playing that back nine, the sense of being an Olympic medallist really hit me.  There were times I kind of had to back off a few times and regather my thoughts and composure to make sure I try to continue to hit good shots and keep making birdies.”

PHOTO - 2016 Olympic Gold medallists Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Matt Kuchar; credit IGF