PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Justin Rose took all the drama out of a long week with three fast birdies that gave him a 3-shot win in Monday’s wind-delayed AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and ended four years without a win, making him eligible for the Masters qualified.
Rose played it safe in the final holes, finishing with four easy pars for a 6-under 66, 3 shots ahead of Brendon Todd (65) and Brandon Wu (66).
“An incredible week from start to finish with so much going in my favor,” said Rose.
He finished 18-under 269 and won for the 11th time on the PGA Tour, his 23rd title worldwide in the last two decades.
The 42-year-old Englishman had not won since Torrey Pines in 2019 when he was world no. He had fallen well out of the top 50. Rose had qualified for every major since the 2010 Open and that streak was in jeopardy until that win.
Rose had a 2-shot lead when play resumed on a clear morning with bright sunshine and big surf at Pebble Beach. Todd made two birdies and was on the lead within 1 shot, but not for long.
Rose potted a 25-foot birdie putt on the 11th, a 20-foot birdie on the 13th, and then hit an 8-foot lob wedge on the par-5 14, extending his lead to 3 shots.
The back nine, which were still so difficult in the last few hours on Sunday evening, were hardly a threat on Monday morning. The wind was light and coming from the opposite direction, behind the players rather than into them.
The weather played a big part all week and nobody benefited like Rose.
He was 6 shots from the lead and going nowhere as he faced the week’s strongest wind on the Monterey Peninsula Shore course when he hit 5-wood in the ninth par-3 to 3 feet. Before he could mark his ball, the wind blew him about 4 feet further away.
That was enough for officials to stop play on all three spots on the rotation — the ninth and 15th greens on the Monterey Peninsula being the problems. Rose returned Sunday morning and made a 7-foot birdie putt.
He played those last 10 holes in 6 under for a 65 to take the lead, and then a crucial downwind eagle birdie stretch at Pebble on Sunday afternoon gave him a cushion on the final round.
Denny McCarthy was 2 shots behind when play resumed and had birdie chances on the 16th and 17th that he couldn’t hide. He ended on a 64 and finished 4 down, along with Keith Mitchell (68) and Peter Malnati (69).
It was the second Monday finish in four years at Pebble Beach due to the weather. Phil Mickelson had to finish two holes to beat Paul Casey in 2019.
This week’s weather was more about wind than rain, although Pebble had a bit of everything. At one point on Sunday there was rain, wind, hail and sunshine all within a one-hour window.
It ended with stunning blue skies and surf crashing against the rocks on the 18th fairway as Rose wrapped up a week he might not have seen coming.
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