Justin Rose's FedEx Cup win softens blow of losing No1 spot to Dustin Johnson

Sport360 staff 11:07 24/09/2018
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  • Dustin Johnson returned to golf’s coveted No1 spot with a third-place finish at the Tour Championship on Sunday – replacing Justin Rose who finished one shot back in fourth.

    The 2016 Olympic champion Rose will be replaced as world number one by Johnson when the new rankings are released later on Monday.

    But there was more than a little consolation for Rose, who claimed the FedEx Cup trophy after his showing at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Course – and took home a $10 million FedEx Cup winner’s cheque.

    It left the 38-year-old Englishman satisfied as he gears up for the Ryder Cup with Europe which starts this weekend.

    “There were a lot of scenarios at play this week and that’s what the beauty of this format is,” Rose said. “I think obviously for me this year it rewarded consistent golf.

    “I was trying to do my best to win this golf tournament and scoop the double jackpot.

    “But far and away, being next to this trophy is something I’m very, very proud of, and it was -definitely with five, six holes to play, it was pretty precarious.

    “I was in a great position around the turn, and then things just got tricky out there.”

    Johnson, 34, who will be on the opposite team to Rose with the United States at Le Golf National in Paris, said of a win that saw him return to top spot: “No, it doesn’t really matter and while I wanted to make back to the top, I would have hit it the same way.”

    The American had first moved to world number one in February 2017 and remained atop the rankings for 64 weeks until the second week in May this year.

    The Florida golfer then returned to top spot four weeks after Justin Thomas had seized the title and with Johnson staying atop of the rankings for a further 13 weeks until Rose finished runner-up in the BMW Championship in Philadelphia.

    Tiger Woods, who ended a five-year winless drought to capture an 80th PGA Tour title in Atlanta, has moved-up a further eight places to be the new World No13.

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