MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Justin Rose made up a three-shot deficit over the last five holes against hard-luck Tommy Fleetwood, and then made two birdies in a playoff against U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Sunday. Rose delivered another sterling performance, closing with a 3-under 67 at TPC Southwind. His 24th victory worldwide that puts him back into the top 10 in the world at age 45 and secures his spot in another Ryder Cup.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Justin Rose made up a three-shot deficit over the last five holes against hard-luck Tommy Fleetwood, and then made two birdies in a playoff against U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Sunday.
Rose delivered another sterling performance, closing with a 3-under 67 at TPC Southwind. His 24th victory worldwide that puts him back into the top 10 in the world at age 45 and secures his spot in another Ryder Cup.
He birdied four straight holes, and narrowly missed a 13-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at the TPC Southwind for a win in regulation. Rose wound up making six birdies over the last eight holes he played, the last one a 10-foot putt on the 18th on the third playoff hole.
Spaun made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to pull into a share of the lead and closed with a 65. He also made a 30-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole with Rose in tight.
Lost in his remarkable rally was another setback for Fleetwood, who has become a sympathetic figure in golf for close calls and his graciousness in defeat. He shot 69 and finished one shot out of the playoff along with Scottie Scheffler, who grazed the edge of so many putts on the back nine and had to settle for a 67.
Bud Cauley was on the bubble for finishing in the top 50 in the FedEx Cup when he holed a bunker shot for birdie on the 17th hole and locked up his spot for the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs next week outside Baltimore. Rickie Fowler, who missed the postseason last year, shot 69 to tie for sixth and advance to the BMW Championship.
LIV Tour
At Bolingbrook, Ill. — Dean Burmester overcame a rough start to get into a three-way playoff, and then beat Jon Rahm and Josele Ballester on the first extra hole with a 6-foot birdie putt to win LIV Golf Chicago.
Burmester lost a two-shot lead at the start with three straight bogeys. He rallied late for an even-par 71 to finish on 9-under 204.
The South African birdied the 16th to regain the lead, only for Rahm and Ballester to birdie the 18th to force a playoff. On the 18th in the playoff, Ballester and Rahm both missed birdie chances from the 12-foot range. Burmester won $4 million for his second LIV Golf victory.
There also was a team playoff, with Burmester’s Stinger team beating Torque for the team title.
European Tour
At Aberdeen, Scotland, Grant Forrest won his second European Tour title in the Nexo Championship at Trump International Golf Links and got more than just a trophy. Forrest received a video call from the course owner, President Donald Trump.
Trump called from his course northwest of Washington, where he was preparing to play.
Forrest, a 32-year-old from Scotland, closed with an even-par 72 for a four-shot victory over Joe Dean. His other European tour title was four years ago, also in Scotland.
It was the second straight week Trump’s course along the coast of Aberdeen held a tournament, coming after the Senior PGA Championship on the European Legends Tour, won by Bo Van Pelt of Oklahoma.
Champions Tour
At Snoqualmie, Wash., Steve Allan of Australia won the Boeing Classic for his second PGA Tour Champions victory in three starts and third of the season, closing with a birdie for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke margin over Stewart Cink.
Allan made a 5-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, then waited to see if Cink could catch him. A stroke behind going into the final hole, Cink left a greenside bunker shot on the lip and made a par for a 70.
The 51-year-old Allan finished at 15-under 201. He won the The Galleri Classic at Mission Hills in the California desert in March and the Dick’s Open last month in Endicott, New York.
Ernie Els and Darren Clarke tied for third at 13 under, each shooting 66.
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