Justin Rose’s third round of the Open Championship started in the most frustrating way possible: fairway, green, three-putt, bogey.
But that was just the start of his adventure.
Rose, the 44-year-old Englishman, finished his third round at Royal Portrush with eight birdies, three bogeys, one double bogey and two cringe-inducing shanks. And , of course, that all led to a three-under 68, capped by a 48-foot birdie bomb from off the green on the last, in which Rose, perhaps poking fun at his eventful day, smiled and raised both arms to soak in the crowd’s roar.
Now, about that 68…
After his bogey on the first, Rose, who started the day eight shots back of 36-hole leader Scottie Scheffler, birdied five of the next six to get to four under on the day. He was suddenly just four back of Scheffler with the World No. 1 yet to tee off.
He was feeling it, but then came the par-4 8th hole, when he drove it into the fescue and then shanked his second shot well right into the gallery. Rose, shocked, yelled “Oh my god!” and then waved in the vicinity of where the ball traveled, as if to offer some sort of apology. That led to a bogey.
He made par on 9 and 10 but the dreaded shanks returned on 11. He drove it into the fescue and, when hacking out, caught the hosel.
“I’ve shanked it again!” Rose said. “Oh my— fore right!”
That was another bogey. But a hole later he made birdie. Then three straight pars and a nasty double bogey on the par-3 16th. No matter, he finished strong. He sank a 4-footer for birdie on 17 and then knocked in his long birdie putt on 18.
“That’s as crazy a 68 you’ll see at Portrush,” NBC commentator Dan Hicks said.
We’d agree.
Rose is five under overall (tied for 14th) and nine back of Scheffler, who holds the 54-hole lead.