Justin Rose managed only a tie for 23rd two weeks ago in the Players Championship, but felt his game coming around when he shot 6-under-par 66 in the final round.
The 37-year-old Englishman, who has won eight times on the PGA Tour including the 2013 U.S. Open, carded a 6-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Emiliano Grillo of Argentina midway through the Fort Worth Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
“Sunday at the Players Championship, I felt like I worked into a slightly different feel, which really helped Sean (Foley, his swing coach) and I kind of dial in a few things we’ve been working on,” said Rose, who captured the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. “We had a good productive week last week training-wise.
“It was nice to bring as good as you feel on the range to the tournament this week. (Caddie Mark Fulcher) said, ‘Hey mate, just stay patient.’ From there, I got into a nice rhythm. My first 15 holes today were about as good as I’ve played in a long time. The last three holes were a little scrappy.”
Rose, who made three straight birdies through No. 16 after starting on the back nine, added four more on the front before carding his only bogey on the eighth hole while recording a 36-hole score of 10-under 130.
Grillo, who opened with a 64, followed that up with a 67, while Brooks Koepka collected seven birdies in his first 11 holes after starting at No. 10 en route to a 63 and is three shots back in a tie for third with Satoshi Kodaira of Japan, who had a 67, while Tyrone Van Aswegen of South Africa is another stroke behind in solo fifth after a second 67.
Kevin Na of Diamond Bar, who held the first-round lead at 62, struggled to a 73 and is five down in a tie for sixth with Beau Hossler (71) of Rancho Santa Margarita, Bryson DeChambeau (67) of Clovis, Ben Crane (69), Tom Hoge (66), Alex Cjeka (69) of Germany, Ben Silverman (69) of Canada, Kevin Tway (69) and Harris English (67).
Sixth-ranked Rickie Fowler of Murrieta is tied for 15th after a 69, third-ranked Jordan Spieth, who won at Fort Worth two years ago, shot 68 and is in a tie for 23rd, and fourth-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain is in a tie for 34th following a 70.
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