Rose doubles up to pile pressure on Fleetwood

So what happened at the Turkish Airlines Open?

Last week Justin Rose was eight back after 54 holes, this week he was nine back after 36 holes. Yet we got the same result as Rose carded weekend rounds of 64-65 over the weekend to beat Nicolas Colsaerts and Dylan Frittelli by one.

Rose only carded one bogey all week and eight birdies on Sunday, three in the last four including the 18th, got him over the line for his 11th win on the European Tour. And it was his first Rolex Series victory and it moves him just 134, 839 behind long-term leader Tommy Fleetwood with two tournaments remaining, unthinkable a few weeks ago.

“I haven’t been in a situation where I’ve rolled in many putts on the 18th green to win a tournament and obviously the way things were unfolding on the course, I knew that that putt on 18 was critical, whether it be for a play-off or it be for the win. It was a very satisfying putt on 18 to make when I had to,” said Rose.

It was one of the great Sundays of the year on the European Tour with South African Frittelli (64) chipping in three times in a run of five straight birdies while Colsaerts (66) birdied 15, 16 and 17 and had an eight-footer to match his playing partner Rose to force a play-off but his putt slipped by.

“I hit an unbelievable 5-iron that never left the pin, exactly how I wanted it. I didn’t think that it was going to move that much. Could have been a little more aggressive with it but I still feel like I gave it a good try,” said the Belgian.

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington needed to eagle the last to force a play-off but made par and had to settle for fourth place with defending champion Thorbjorn Olesen a shot further back.

Four holes. Three chip ins.

How's your short game @Dylan_Frittelli?! pic.twitter.com/iJYX8Z2W5Q

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 5, 2017

Talking Points

Rose wasn’t considered by many in finishing the year as the Race to Dubai champion and, with Fleetwood finishing in a tie for 23rd, his lead was slashed by a huge chunk this week. Fleetwood will now head to the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City but his compatriot Rose will take the week off. And Rose isn’t planning to change his schedule.

“(Playing) four in a row is not something that I do. I feel like by the fourth week you’re hoping to play well, not knowing you can play well, especially travelling through all these time zones,” Rose said.

“I put myself in a predicament about next week. I didn’t quite fully anticipate being so close to Tommy but the good thing is I can look at Dubai two ways. If I win, then depending obviously on what Tommy does next week, we’ll have to see. It’s in Tommy’s hands still but it’s exciting to be within touching distance.”

Ian Poulter was cruising along when this happened. In mid flight he’ll have gone from eyeing a kick-in birdie, maybe a hole out, to asking where the drop zone is. Last week Henrik Stenson was on the wrong end of huge slices of bad luck flag ricochets but at least his next shots were always a putt.

Unluckiest shot of the year? pic.twitter.com/K8hAKXg07t

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 3, 2017

Pablo Larrazabal deserves plenty of credit for the way his week ended up. After day one he was last after a horror-show 1o-over 81 but he finished the week not only in red figures but at three under.

After 34 holes he was 11 over, for the next 38 he was 14 under and in tournament-winning form. Interestingly he set himself a target of finishing one under on Thursday night and he managed to go two better.

Best shots

Sunday

The approach to the 9th and 16th and then THAT putt at the last…

Relive @JustinRose99's final round in under three minutes#TurkishAirlinesOpen pic.twitter.com/En3cM2zRWJ

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 5, 2017

Just your average Padraig par… pic.twitter.com/TDipBFDppc

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 5, 2017

Saturday

For birdie. From 29 feet.

With a wedge? pic.twitter.com/AbiHZAqPHn

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 5, 2017

How to one-up your playing partner.

They hit it close. You do this! pic.twitter.com/IJAN1YQcpa

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 4, 2017

Friday

Some of us can’t hit a simple chip from five yards, off a perfect lie on the fairway with nothing between our ball and the hole. Yet Harrington is capable of this..

Proof that @Padraig_H can get up-and-down from anywhere! pic.twitter.com/nmXreCFJPD

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 3, 2017

In the rough. Blocked by trees ?

And another birdie for our leader! pic.twitter.com/YSLpy2JUEe

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 3, 2017

Rejected ? pic.twitter.com/RHXTa2xcbj

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 3, 2017

Thursday

Yup, that's driver off the deck… pic.twitter.com/GIMWZyGTiA

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 2, 2017

Best photo

Henrik Stenson has been known to occasionally end a round with his bag not quite intact but it doesn’t appear that too much finger pointing could be levelled at the Swede here. One of the photos of 2017.

Oh snap ?

? via @MattHarrisPIXs pic.twitter.com/vXVT1Iy6EE

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 3, 2017

Best dressed

Harrington might not have won the main prize but here’s some consolation for the Dubliner which should soften the blow of missing out. I’m generally not a fan of the quilted look but caps off to Padraig who has rarely looked so suave.

Worst dressed

It’s generally quite hard to get the old black-white combination wrong. That is unless you get the colour of your shoes wrong as Stephen Gallacher has done here. Then again I’m not sure even a pair of white uppers are going to go with these slacks..

Best tweets

Putting the work in.

This was @JustinRose99 in the gym at 9am this morning, before shooting 65 to win the #TurkishAirlinesOpen. pic.twitter.com/3efa4RUd4y

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 5, 2017

Players to win a WGC then win again the following week:

?? Tiger (2007)
?? McIlroy (2014)
?? Rose (Today)

That's it. pic.twitter.com/7FvmKmlqr5

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 5, 2017

Justin Rose's last two weeks:

• 2 events
• 2 wins
• 8 rounds
• 32 under par
• 67.5 average
• €2.4m earned
• €4,417 per shot pic.twitter.com/OFFUyZzHPq

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 5, 2017

Hey @padraig_h do you fancy going double or quits today on that £50 I (me and @ShaneLowryGolf) took off you Tuesday?

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) November 3, 2017

This time last year I was missing the cut at 2nd Stage of Q school.
Now I'm playing in the #TurkishAirlinesOpen.
Love This Game. ⛳️???? pic.twitter.com/wnVeLEVQc6

— Matt Wallace (@mattsjwallace) October 31, 2017

Well my kitchen is going to soon look the bomb. But the trophy cabinet still bare as my ass… Onto the next one. JR=????

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) November 5, 2017