Rose held a one-stroke lead from Stenson going into the final round. Though eventual bronze medallist Matt Kuchar of the USA staked a compelling claim for gold by carding a stunning 63, the last day came down to a thrilling two-way duel between the two Europeans.
The Briton shot four birdies and solitary bogey on his outward nine, with the Swede keeping pace with four birdies of his own in the opening ten holes. When Rose dropped a shot at 13 the two were level, with the prospect of a play-off looming large. The two were tied at 15 under par heading down the last, only for Rose to strike a fine approach shot to within feet of the pin, heaping the pressure on Stenson.
The Swede put his long birdie putt past the hole and missed the return to card a bogey six, allowing Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, the luxury of two putts for victory. He needed only one, sinking his birdie putt before punching the air and soaking up the acclaim of the crowd. “To come out with a medal is incredible; to come out of it with gold, unbelievable,” said golf’s first Olympic champion since 1904. “I knew it was a possibility [winning gold] but there were so many great players. I came here in good form, I felt excited about competing. And then when I actually got down to Rio and experienced the whole vibe of the Olympics I have just been really excited.”
Reflecting on his silver medal, Stenson, who won the British Open in July, said: “It was going to be a battle today and I think I battled pretty well. It was kind of head-to-head with Justin all day, and it was going to come down to whoever finished the strongest and he birdied the last to win it.
“I have no regrets really,” added Svenson, who was consistency personified with an opening round of 66 followed by three 68s. “I did as well as I could today and congratulations to my good friend who won it today.”
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The Summer Olympics Comes to League of Angels-Fire Raiders! The Rio Summer Olympics is in full swing and the world has been glued to the world-class competition while cheering for their favorite athletes and countries. For all the wonderful players of League of Angels-Fire Raiders, our game team also has prepared some in-game and Facebook events to celebrate with you!