Justin Rose wins US Open

Justin Rose became the first Englishman to win the US Open since 1970 with victory at Merion yesterday.

Ending England’s 17-year major drought, he held his nerve to clinch a magnificent victory in the 113th US Open at Merion – his maiden major triumph.

An emotional Rose paid tribute to his father as he spoke of his victory.

As he sunk his winning putt, an emotional Rose looked to the heavens in tribute to his father Ken who introduced him to the sport, but died of leukemia in 2002.

He told reporters afterwards: “You saw me look to the heavens with it being Father’s Day – I was just trying to remember my dad.

“My coach Sean Foley sent me a text this morning which said ‘Go out there and be the man that your dad taught you to be and that your kids can look up to.’

Rose was the last man standing on a brutally tough final day, putting together a composed level-par 70 to finish on one over for the tournament.

Superbly-crafted pars at two of the toughest finishing holes in golf left him one ahead of Phil Mickelson, and Rose was soon confirmed as the Englishman to win the US Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970 when Mickelson failed to birdie the last.

Rose had started the day two off the lead, and he soon slipped to two over after bogeys at the third and fifth sandwiching a birdie at the long fourth.

When playing partner Luke Donald crashed out of contention, Rose propelled himself into a share of the lead with superb approaches to six and seven setting up a pair of birdies.

Fan-favourite Mickelson, who was celebrating his 43rd birthday, tumbled down the leaderboard after double-bogeys at the third and fifth, but he then prompted the biggest roar of the day when he pitched in from 76 yards for eagle at the 10th.

Jason Day birdied eight and 10 to get to even par before his challenge faded with three bogeys coming home, and Mickelson made a huge mistake going long at the short 13th and another shot went at 15.

Shortly after Rose nudged a fairway wood from the fringe to within an inch for a cast-iron par at the last, Mickelson blocked his drive into rough, came up short with his second and pitched beyond the pin to endure his sixth runner-up finish in the tournament.

Rose spent most of the round jostling for the lead with Day and Hunter Mahan, who stayed firmly in the hunt as he ground out pars at 13 of the first 14 holes.

It wasn’t to be for Mahan, as his bid for a first major floundered with a double-bogey at 15, and the deflated American bogeyed the final two holes as he finished with a 75 to finish four off the lead.

Donald’s challenge was effectively over by the sixth, where the former world No 1 followed three straight bogeys with a scrappy double-bogey six.

He got back to five over with valiant birdies at 10 and 12, but another shot went at 14 and he had to be content with a tie for eighth on six over – his first top 10 in the US Open.

Donald finished one behind Jason Dufner, who was a remarkable five under for the day through 14 flawless holes before pulling his drive out of bounds at 15 en route to a triple-bogey seven.

Dufner recovered to post a 67, the best round of the day, while Ernie Els warmed up for the defence of his Open Championship title next month with a closing 69 to join Dufner on five over.