Rio Olympics 2016: Britain’s Justin Rose edges Sweden’s Henrik Stenson for first golf gold since 1904

Britain's Justin Rose became the first Olympic golf champion in 112 years, outdueling Sweden's Henrik Stenson in a tension-packed final-round thriller for a historic gold medal at Rio.

Rio de Janeiro, Aug 15: Britain’s Justin Rose became the first Olympic golf champion in 112 years, outdueling Sweden’s Henrik Stenson in a tension-packed final-round thriller for a historic gold medal at Rio. The 36-year-old Englishman pitched the ball 18 inches from the cup on the par-5 18th hole and sank the birdie putt to beat Stenson by two strokes for the greatest triumph of his life yesterday. “Oh my God. That felt better than anything I’ve ever won. It was the best tournament I’ve ever done,” Rose said. “Coming up with that last pitch when I needed it was magical.” Rose fired a closing four-under par 67 to finish 72 holes on 16-under 268. Stenson, whose poor chip left him a near-impossible putt to stay level with Rose, closed with a bogey to take the silver on 270, one stroke ahead of US bronze medalist Matt Kuchar.(ALSO READ: Rio Olympics 2016: Golfer SSP Chawrasia finishes tied 50th, Anirban Lahiri 57th at Olympics)

“I have no regrets. I did as well as I could,” Stenson said. “I battled pretty well. It was going to come down to who finished better at the end. “To be an Olympic medalist is something special. It was the gift of a lifetime coming here.” An event dimmed by the decisions of more than 20 players to stay away, including world number one Jason Day of Australia and the entire world top four, provided plenty of excitement and spectacular shotmaking as the gold hung on a knife’s edge all day. “It felt like a cross between a golf tournament and a carnival,” Rose said.

“It was unique, incredible.” Just a month after fifth-ranked Stenson won his first major title at last month’s British Open in a final-day battle with American Phil Mickelson, he found himself locked in a similar fight with 12th-ranked Rose, the 2013 US Open champion. “I didn’t really think too much about what happened in the past,” Stenson said. At the par-5 18th, Stenson was shy of the green with his approach while Rose was left of the green with bunkers between, the gold fight down to a pitch and putt contest.