Justin Rose won his very first major at the US Open as Phil Mickelson finished in the all-too familiar position of runner-up at the Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania.
Rose finished level par for the day and the tournament overall at one over to become the first Englishman to win the US Open in 1970.
Even though he carded five bogeys on the final round, he claimed afterwards he knew “deep down” he was good enough to win the tournament as long as he held his nerve which he duly did.
“What a day,” an emotional Rose said.
“I don’t know what to say, I’m thrilled. I just kept telling myself that (making bogeys) is what everyone is doing," he said afterwards.
Mickelson finished in the runner-up position for the sixth time, and on his 43
rd birthday as well as a closing round of 74 saw him finish two shots behind Rose and shared second spot with Australian Jason Day. Jason Dufner, Open champion Ernie Els, Billy Horschel and Hunter Mahan finished two shots further back.
Rose paid a special tribute to his father Ken, who died in 2002 from leukaemia, pointing to the skies on Father’s Day to acknowledge his presence on the big day.
“You saw me look to the heavens with it being Father’s Day – I was just trying to remember my dad.”
The final two holes saw Rose display nerves of steel with a tap-in par at the 18th good enough to secure a superb win as Mickelson failed to chip in for the birdie he needed to force a play-off.
Rory McIlroy however had a tournament to forget, shooting a 76 yesterday including a quadruple bogey eight to finish at 14 over, but his on course petulance could result in a fine. He pushed a wedge into the 11th fairway here at Merion and buckled the shaft in a highly frustrating round for the world number two.
