Golf

Justin Rose couldn’t keep from wilting in missed U.S. Open chance

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Justin Rose hoped to add a second U.S. Open trophy to his collection on Sunday. Instead, he never gave himself a real chance to catch Gary Woodland as the Englishman struggled to a 3-over 74 and finished in a tie for third, six strokes behind the winner.

Rose’s hopes were shattered on the back nine. He suffered back-to-back bogeys at the par-3 12th hole and the par-4 13th, while another bogey at the par-4 15th only added salt to his wounds.

“The putter wasn’t quite as warm today as it was yesterday,” Rose said. “It took a bit of a day off. But I felt like I had to have a day where I pieced everything together to win. It was close. But coming in, once momentum leaves you a little bit it just becomes hard to grind it out.”

Rose couldn’t stay out the bunkers. He landed in 17 green-side bunkers during the course of the tournament and managed to find two bunkers on the par-4 15th on Sunday that led to his final bogey.

“You can’t get sloppy out there,” he said. “I had a little trouble with my focus and it shows up in these big events if that happens down the stretch.”

Rose, playing in the final pairing with Woodland, was the 2013 winner at Merion and hoped to channel that triumphant finish on Sunday. But it didn’t happen. Woodland was too steady and Rose was too erratic.

“There’s no point in letting it hurt too much,” Rose said. “I’m more proud of the fact I even gave myself a chance. I didn’t have my ‘A’ game this week, and to contend in a major with no game really, I take the positive from that. I felt good within myself in the situation. You just need to be really on point. I just gave up a couple of cheap bogeys on the back nine.”

Rose hopes to improve his form in time to make a good showing at the year’s final major, the British Open next month at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

“I’m getting closer and I’m getting hungrier,” he said. “I’m determined. I feel good about preparing for that one now. In these situations you definitely enjoy them and want more of them.”