Justin Rose Shoots 63, Ties For Lead At WGC Bridgestone Invitational
After a bogey-free round of 63 on Saturday, Justin Rose vaulted himself up the leaderboard into a tie for the lead, heading into the final round at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. The Englishman currently sits at nine-under par for the championship, tying with 45-year-old Jim Furyk who shot a one-under 69 on his third round.
Rose carded a flawless round with seven birdies, including a streak of three birdies in his final four holes. It was a round of golf highlighted by accurate tee shots, flushed irons, and solid putting on the speedy greens at Firestone Country Club. Rose closed out his stellar round in style on the 18th hole by draining a lengthy 40-foot birdie. According to stats provided by the WGC Bridgestone Invitational’s website, Justin hit 10 out of 14 fairways and 14 out of 18 greens in regulation.
Rose, who already has a victory under his belt earlier this season at the Zurich Classic, is in prime position to capture yet another victory, and this time against the world’s most elite golfers.
According to reports by ESPN, Rose spoke to the media after his third round and discussed the overall state of his game and how he has progressed as of late.
“I think my game’s in good shape. If I look at my results of late, I’ve just been missing a hot round, or maybe the putting has been great one day, not so good the next day. Just looking for that tiny bit of consistency through the week. Just giving myself opportunities, and that’s all you really want.”
The 2013 U.S. Open champion at Merion certainly has been playing solid golf these past few weeks. He finished in a tie for sixth at the Open Championship a few weeks back and posted a tie for fourth just last week at the Quicken Loans National.
Rose’s performance so far this week at the WGC certainly bodes well for him as he heads into next week’s PGA Championship, the final major of the season. His swing is in good shape and if he can walk away with a win here on Sunday and carry that momentum onto the PGA, he’ll be a serious contender for hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy.
Justin Rose will tee off in the final pairing on Sunday afternoon at 2:10 p.m. Easter time along with playing partner Jim Furyk. Furyk, who also won earlier this year at the RBC Heritage, will be seeking his first WGC tournament victory. He faced a difficult heartbreak three years ago when he lost by a stroke after double-bogeying the 72nd hole. Behind the leaders are a host of other golfers including Shane Lowry, Ian Poulter, Bubba Watson, and Henrik Stenson, all in the chase for that coveted WGC Bridgestone victory.
(Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
