Justin Rose makes his move at Open Championship
Justin Rose needed to birdie 18 on Friday just to make the cut. On Saturday, he shot 64 to jump into contention at the Open Championship.
Saturday is traditionally moving day at a major, and nobody made a bigger move today than Justin Rose.
The 37-year-old Englishman shot a seven-under 64 in the third round of the Open Championship to get into contention. It’s his best career round at the Open, and ties the lowest round for an Open at Carnoustie.
On Friday evening it looked like Rose wouldn’t even be around for the weekend. He needed a 13-foot birdie at the 18th in his second round to make the cut. Given a new lifeline as he chases his first Claret Jug, he got off to a quick start in the third round with a birdie at the first. On the back-nine he already had four birdies coming to the 18th, then made another 15-footer for birdie to finish.
“It was a beautiful morning to play golf. I felt like it was an opportunity to score well out there,” Rose said after the round.
“The greens were somewhat receptive and the pins weren’t as tough as the first couple of days. I felt like it was a typical setup for a moving day, so it was nice to make that move.”
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Rose jumped all the way from 65th at the start of the day to sixth. He is just two shots off the lead with the leaders still to tee off. He was nine back as he began his round. The last player to come from as many as nine shots down after 36 holes to win the Open was George Duncan in 1920.
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Rose will likely fall down the leaderboard as the leaders complete their rounds, but he hopes the players to come will face a more difficult course.
“I’m hoping the conditions will change for those to come. It feels a little benign right now,” he said. “We need the tide to change and the winds to pick up.”
It was at the Open Championship that Rose first became known to the golfing world. In 1998, a then 17-year-old Rose finished fourth as an amateur at Royal Birkdale. But in the years since he has been in the top 10 just once.
On the 20th anniversary of his coming out party, he’s hoping to write new history. At least he gave himself a chance.