NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Justin Rose lost another big lead. This time, he didn't lose the tournament.
Staked to a five-shot lead at the turn, Rose finished with seven straight pars and closed with an even-par 70 to hold on for a one-shot victory in the AT&T National, his second PGA Tour title in his last three events.
It would have been three straight wins for the 29-year-old Englishman except for his collapse last week at the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Conn. Rose blew a three-shot lead in the final round with a 75, and he was determined not to let that happen again.
Rose had to sweat it on a steamy afternoon at Aronimink
He had three-putt bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes — after having gone 274 consecutive holes without one on the PGA Tour — and suddenly his lead was down to two. Then came a furious charge from Ryan Moore, who one-putted his last eight greens for a 65 to close within one shot.
Rose was steady down the stretch, however, and calmly rolled in a 30-inch par putt on the last hole for the victory.
"I was a little worried about today based on last Sunday," Rose said. "I just tried to stay within my rhythm. I probably made it closer than it needed to be."
Tiger Woods wasn't close at all. The defending champion shot a 1-over 71, marking the first time in 11 years that he didn't break par over four rounds in a regular PGA Tour event. He wound up 14 shots behind Rose, the most Woods has finished out of the lead since the 2006 Players Championship.
