Justin Rose wins 2013 US Open

Englishman Justin Rose has won his first major championship by winning the 2013 US Open.

Adam Scott sent Justin Rose a text message after his US Masters victory that simply said, “Your time’s coming soon”.

Scott’s prediction proved spot on as Justin Rose shot an impressive even par round of 70 on the final day of the US Open to secure his first major victory at Merion this morning.

Rose arrived at the notoriously difficult final hole with a one shot lead over Jason Day who was in the clubhouse at 3-over par for the tournament. To give you some idea of how difficult the final hole at Merion was playing, no player had birdied the 18th over the final two rounds. Par was never going to be a certainty.

Rose played two majestic golf shots. One great drive that found the difficult to find fairway and another piercing long iron that ran through the green, just 12 feet from the hole. Rose almost holed the shot with a fairway wood and secured a par which was ultimately good enough to win the US Open.

Rose becomes the ninth Englishman to win the US Open and the first since Tony Jacklin in 1970.

Phil Mickelson came to the final hole needing one of these elusive birdies to send the event into an 18 hole playoff on Monday.

Mickelson’s drive found the rough on the left and his approach came up short of the green. His chip shot missed the hole by a foot and ran to the back of the green consigning Mickelson to his sixth second place finish at the US Open.

“This is tough to swallow after coming so close. This was my best chance out of all of them. I felt like this was as good of an opportunity as you could ask for and to not do it this time, it hurts.”, Mickelson said after the round.

Australia’s Jason Day looked in good position to score his first major championship when he grabbed the lead with birdie at the 10th hole. He finished the round with three bogeys but Day made clutch saving par putts on the difficult closing stretch at Merion.

Day’s putt for par on the final hole lipped out and meant he finished two shots behind Rose in a tie for second place with Mickelson. It was Day’s fourth top-3 finish at majors.

“As long as I keep knocking on the door”, Day said after his round. “I think I’ll win a major here soon.”

Mickelson looked set to finally add a US Open title to his name when he holed his pitch shot for eagle on the 10th hole to take the lead.

But Rose steadied almost immediately after and made birdies on the 12th and 13th holes to take the outright lead .

When Rose made bogey on the 16th hole, he and Mickelson shared the lead but a decision to chip Mickelson on the 15th green proved costly as his ball ran past the hole and ultimately made bogey.

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