Justin Rose. Whenever a golf fan hears that name, they are probably reminded of his 2024 Open Championship final qualifying, through which he secured his spot in the field. They would also be reminded of his performance at the major, which allowed the golfer to place in T2 after the second day. However, despite all those inspiring stories, there is an instance in his life that left him embarrassed, to say the least. Enter the 2016 Ryder Cup!

The athlete, alongside his teammates Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, and Andy Sullivan, was engaging in a round of practice ahead of the event on September 29, as per a video shared by the PGA Tour. As the team reached the greens at the eighth hole, they faced a bit of difficulty making the putt. Cue David Johnson, a fan from North Dakota, who shouted, “I could make that putt.”

The outcry reached the ears of the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who invited Johnson (imagine him with a surprised face!) to the greens. The European team, including Rose, asked him to try putting the ball in himself, while the English golfer placed a $100 he pulled out of his wallet next to the spheroid. Even the noisy spectator wouldn’t have guessed that he would be the center of attention for star golfers and a cheering crowd.

Although the fan complained about the length of the putter that he was given, the team denied it and asked him to make the shot with the same clubs they played and missed the shots with. He agreed. The crowd fell silent. Johnson steadied himself again. And… he firmly stroked the ball with the putter in his hand.

It truly was an iconic moment for the North Dakota golf enthusiast who was able to read the greens properly. The ball slowly arrowed to the center of the hole and plopped straight in, eliciting huge cheers from the crowd. The European team? Well, the surprise and disbelief that was initially sported by Johnson slowly transferred to Justin Rose and Co., who congratulated him with a hug and presented him with the money (an autographed $100 bill at that!). “The guy came on and ripped it in the middle,” said the former U.S. Open champ. “Fair play to him.” And now it’s this exact sportsmanship that has helped him qualify and top the scoreboard at the Open!

Justin Rose succeeds in qualifying for the Open

Even though Justin Rose does not boast a win at the Open, he stands second in the number of starts made at the event, including the 2024 edition (at 21). Adam Scott is the only golfer who has managed to surpass him at 24 starts. But the Englishman managed to save the streak that would have been broken in 2024. He did so by making himself eligible via the 36-hole final qualifying that was held at Burnham & Berrow.

His score of 66-68 over the two days allowed him to earn one of the four spots by beating the likes of LIV Golf Pro Anirban Lahiri. Moreover, Rose did so at a course that he even dubs extremely tough: “At Burnham & Berrow, we played in a really, really tough westerly breeze. That golf course is incredibly difficult…” Nevertheless, he has truly managed to achieve his aim of continuing to play on big occasions, despite the very real setbacks that he faced!