TROON, Scotland — In the chill and twilight of a late Sunday afternoon in Scotland, Royal Troon’s 72nd hole putt disappeared from about 30 feet into the 18th hole for a stunning birdie finish.
Justin Rose took off his hat and raised it high into the gray sky as fans filling the enormous stands on either side of the 18th green erupted in rapturous cheers.
If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought Rose had won the 152nd British Open and, a few minutes later, been handed the Claret Jug as Champion Golfer of the Year, a title given to the British Open champion.
The problem was, Rose finished in a tie for second place.
But that doesn’t stop the 43-year-old Briton from being this week’s winner.
As much as we all admire Xander Schauffele, who played with Rose on the penultimate pairing of the day and went on to win the Claret Jug, it was hard not to root for Rose, who qualified for the tournament he most coveted.
“Two emotions went through me,” Rose said, describing the moment on the 18th hole. “I was disappointed when I came off the course. I was shocked and devastated because I was so strong today. I really played the way I wanted to today. I started off well, I got myself in the tournament well early on, and I felt good all day.”
“I gave it my all. I promised myself today that I wouldn’t have any regrets.”
Asked how he reacted to his birdie putt on the 18th hole, Rose said, “Well, I got second place, I got a prize, I got FedEx Cup points, so I guess that makes me a pro.”
“Then,” he continued, “I walked about 10 steps and I was fighting back tears. So that was the change. Yeah, it’s personal, but I enjoyed the 18th hole with the fans. I think it’s a really great setting. For me, the best view in golf is those two long grandstands you walk up to and the big yellow leaderboard. That’s a magic moment for me.”
“I’m going to walk away from the golf course saying, ‘Wow, that wasn’t a waste.’
Rose didn’t waste a thing on Sunday, shooting 67 in a tough Open final round that featured some of the best players in the world.
He lost to Schauffele, who has won two of the four Grand Slams this year and emerged as arguably the most complete player in the world, one without any weaknesses.
He was overtaken by a player 13 years younger than him, at the peak of his career.
“Justin is very conscious of his age and I think that’s an encouragement to him,” Rose’s caddie, Mark Fulcher, said after the match.
Perhaps more important than any of his many attributes, Rose has remained hungry despite having everything in life.
He has won more than $66 million on the golf course and countless more off it, including one major championship, 11 titles including the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, and a career-worthy Ryder Cup victory.
But Rose, who was not eligible to play in the Open based on his world ranking, went to a small course in England and overcame a tough qualifying round to qualify.
He didn’t need to do that because life was full of the boring things mentioned above.
But Fulcher vehemently disagreed.
“He had to, because this is his tournament,” Fulcher said. “He has an incredible attachment to the Masters, but there’s no question that this is No. 1 for him. There was no question that he was going to qualify.”
Rose accepted the challenge, and he, too, proved that tenacity was one of his greatest qualities.
“I still want that,” he said, “and this makes that desire even greater.”
I covered Rose’s first Open tournament in 1998, when he was a 17-year-old amateur playing at Royal Birkdale, where he stunned the golfing world by finishing tied for fourth.
Rose turned pro soon after and missed his first 21 cuts, a frustrating experience for any strong player. Rose persevered and had a great career in which he won just about everything…except the Claret Jug.
Rose’s runner-up finish has earned him a place at next year’s Open at Royal Portrush, and he’ll be persevering until he’s no longer competing for the Claret Jug.
When asked if she felt “free” going into the British Open in pursuit of that most precious prize, Rose replied, “No, I don’t think so. I guess it’s harder because you want it more. It’s a battle of the mind, you know? You want it, but you have to try not to want it too much so it doesn’t interfere with your performance.”
“So that’s the dance we’re always dancing.”
