GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) – His ball was halfway to the cup when Justin Rose raised his putter to the Scottish skies in celebration.
After his barrage of birdies in a record-breaking victory in the morning fourballs, Rose was never going to miss the 5-foot putt on No. 18 that secured a crucial half point for Europe from the final foursomes match on Saturday afternoon.
It took his personal haul at Gleneagles this week to a team-high 3 1/2 points. Europe is taking a 10-6 lead into Sunday’s singles matches and Rose is the man largely responsible.
“It was definitely him that was the backbone in our team today,” said Henrik Stenson, Rose’s playing partner for his three wins.
To think that 18 months ago, some were questioning Rose’s ability to handle the big stage. Then came that game-changing first major title at the U.S Open in Merion last year that took him to the next level.