Sunday in Shanghai was supposed to be a foregone conclusion. The top-ranked player in the world entered the final round of the last big tournament of the year with a six-shot lead and looked to be in complete control.
Entering the day with a six-shot advantage over Brooks Koepka, DJ got off to a shaky start by bogeying his first two holes. However, pars over the next nine holes left him three shots up on Henrik Stenson and five shots ahead of Koepka and Justin Rose.
Rose then went on a tear, birdieing five times in a seven-hole stretch between Nos. 11 and 17 and posted 14-under par. Meanwhile, DJ dropped three more shots with bogeys on the 12th, 15th and 16th holes.
Wow!
This birdie on 17 means Justin Rose hits the top. pic.twitter.com/IU7l9saasi
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 29, 2017
With Rose one group in front of the final threesome, his two-shots cushion forced DJ or Stenson to make an eagle on the last. Neither were able to muster even a birdie and Rose claimed his first title since his gold-medal performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
What a comeback!@JustinRose99 wins the 2017 WGC HSBC Champions! ???? pic.twitter.com/iBASIuSsoQ
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 29, 2017
Johnson, Stenson and Koepka all finished tied at 12-under par, four shots clear of Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Peter Uihlein and Kyle Stanley, all of whom tied for fifth.
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