Rose tops Spaun in play-off to win St Jude Championship as Fleetwood falters again

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2 days ago

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Justin Rose celebrating after making a birdie on the 18th hole during a play-off against J.J. Spaun during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Aug 10.
WASHINGTON – Justin Rose reeled off four straight back-nine birdies to force a play-off, then birdied the third hole of sudden death to beat J.J. Spaun for the St. Jude Championship on Aug 10 as Tommy Fleetwood endured more PGA Tour agony.
Englishman Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, had six birdies over his last eight holes including the play-off – climbing up the congested leaderboard with birdies at 14, 15, 16 and 17 in regulation.
His final-round 67 pulled him level with reigning US Open champion Spaun on 16-under 264 at TPC Southwind – where overnight leader Fleetwood had a two-shot lead with three holes remaining but faltered with a bogey at 17 in a one-under 69 that left him tied for third with Scottie Scheffler on 15-under 265.
Spaun carded a five-under 65 in the final round, posting back-to-back birdies at 16 and 17 – where he rolled in a 20-foot putt – to put himself in the play-off.
'That was an amazing last 90 minutes, really,' said Rose, the 45-year-old who finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy in a play-off at the Masters in April. 'Played unbelievable golf coming down the stretch.'
This is Rose's 12th US tour title, and his first since Pebble Beach in 2023.
He started the day one shot off the lead and was two-over for the day through nine holes. His challenge seemed stalled after he followed a birdie at the 10th with a bogey at 12, but a 15-foot birdie at the 14th launched his comeback.
He drained a 10-foot birdie at 15, got up and down from a greenside bunker for birdie at 16 and curled in a 22-foot birdie putt at 17. His 13-footer for the outright win at the 72nd hole just missed and he and Spaun returned to 18 for the play-off.
Both two-putted for par – Rose after a tee shot that nearly found the water. They posted matching birdies the next time around – Spaun drilling a 30-foot putt and Rose making his seven-footer.
They returned to 18 again, this time with a new hole location, and after Rose rattled in his 11-footer, Spaun sent his seven-foot birdie attempt past the cup.
'Never stopped believing,' said Rose. 'I've been saying for some time when I bring my best, I know I'm good enough to play and compete and to now win against the best players in the world, so very gratifying day for me and a lot of hard work kind of coming to fruition.'
But it was the familiar feeling of disappointment for compatriot Fleetwood, a seven-time DP World Tour winner who has yet to win in 162 US tour starts.
After an opening bogey and 10 straight pars, Fleetwood rolled in a 33-foot birdie putt at the 12th and a 15-footer at the 13th to regain a one-shot lead, and he was two-up after a birdie at 15.
Scheffler's challenge was fading, but Spaun and Rose were pressing when he settled for a par at the par-five 16th and hit a poor second shot and poor putt at 17.
'I'm obviously going to be disappointed,' said Fleetwood, who lost in a play-off at the Travelers Championship earlier this year in his sixth PGA Tour runner-up finish.
'There's a lot of positives to take, as much as I don't really feel like that right now. I'm just going to look at what I feel like I could have done and how close it was.'
World Noi. 1 Scheffler, whose four wins this year include two Majors, was tied for the lead through 13 holes in pursuit of a fifth 2025 triumph, but he couldn't keep pace as he closed with a three-under 67.
He remained atop the play-off standings after the first of three play-off events. The top 50 advance to next week's BMW Championship and the top 30 after the BMW advance to the Tour Championship. AFP