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Rose wins the WGC-Cadillac Championship
DORAL, Fla. - Justin Rose shot a final-round 70 today to win a wild WGC-Cadillac Championship at the TPC Blue Monster.
Rose survived a bogey on the final hole and then watched 54-hole leader Bubba Watson miss his birdie attempt at the last. With his 16-under-par total, Rose defeated Watson by one shot. Rory McIlroy, the No. 1 player in the world, closed with 67 to finish two shots back.
Tiger Woods withdrew after teeing off at No. 12. An hour after he left the course, he claimed a tight Achilles.
Watson, a former University of Georgia golfer, began the day with a three-shot lead over Rose and Keegan Bradley. That advantage soon evaporated as Watson sprayed drives all over the course en route to a front-nine 39. Watson finished with 74.
Rose took a two-shot lead into the par-4 18th hole, which features water all down the left side. He blew his drive right to avoid the Blue Monster. Then, Rose sliced his fairway wood approach shot to the right of the greenside bunkers. After flopping a shot just across the green, Rose chipped tight and tapped in for bogey.
Playing one group behind, Watson left his birdie putt from the fringe at No. 17 inches short. He then drove into the right rough at No. 18. From 187 yards out, Watson split a pair of palm trees and left himself a nine-foot birdie try.
Facing a right-to-left breaker, Watson missed the putt on the short side, his ball running out of steam as it approached the hole.
Augusta native Charles Howell shot 72 to finish at 8-under and in a tie for 17th place.