rose wins

Justin Rose won the European Order of Merit title on Sunday with a playoff victory at the season-ending Volvo Masters.

Rose rolled in a 12-foot putt for a birdie at the par-4 10th — the second sudden death playoff hole — to beat Simon Dyson (70) of England and Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen (67).

“I knew it was going to come down to No. 10 and, luckily, it was me,” Rose said. “I dug deep. There’s gotta be an easier way.”

The three players finished tied with an overall score of 1-under 283. Rose shot 3-over 74 after starting the final round with a four-stroke lead over Dyson and Padraig Harrington.

Rose overtook Ernie Els, who had opted to play in Singapore on the Asia Tour this week, to top the European Tour’s season-ending money list thanks to Valderrama’s winning prize of €666,660 (US$960,488).

 The 27-year-old Englishman knew he had won before the playoff due to his guaranteed top-three finish at Valderrama with Harrington, his closest rival, out of contention.

“It’s emotional. It was a hard day,” Rose said. “It’s been a long road to get here, but I feel great.”

Rose captured the Harry Vardon trophy with the lowest number of events played in the Tour’s modern history.

Harrington couldn’t hole birdie putts at the 17th and 18th that would have pushed him into the playoff. The British Open champion shot 1-over 72 to finish two shots back tied in fourth.

“I’m disappointed, I didn’t putt well today,” Harrington said. “I tried to hole that putt at No. 18 and put a little pressure on him.”

Harrington won last year’s Order of Merit title after finishing in a three-way tie for second at this event.

Rose had a four-shot lead after sinking his birdie-3 at No. 9, and was six ahead of Harrington.

But Rose’s round began to unravel at the 11th. A double-bogey 7 was followed by poor pitch shots at Nos. 13 and 14, requiring tough par-saving putts that he couldn’t sink.

“I saw the Order of Merit slipping away then,” Rose said. “I said to myself to pull it together.”

His approach to 15 feet at the par-5 17th gave him a tap-in birdie, but Dyson equaled to draw even at 2 under.

Kjeldson watched from the clubhouse as the final pair missed par putts to send it to a playoff.

Kjeldsen had three birdies in his first five holes for the day’s lowest score.

Harrington had cut Rose’s advantage to three by rolling in from 10 feet for a birdie at the par-4 first hole.

But Rose canceled that out on the par-5 No. 4.

After backing away to rethink his 165-yard pitch shot, Rose struck it to 11 feet and promptly got the birdie putt. His lead was extended to five shots moments later when Harrington, playing one group ahead, couldn’t salvage his 22-footer for par.

England’s Ian Poulter beat Sergio Garcia of Spain in 2004, the last time the tournament went to a playoff.