It was a disappointing end to a historic Olympic campaign for Indian duo, SSP Chawrasia and Anirban Lahiri, who finished tied-50th and tied 57th as golf made an appearance after 112 years at the Olympic Games.
Chawrasia was in the hunt for a top-10 finish till the 17th hole on Saturday, but crumbled thereafter.
He bogeyed 17th and 18th on Saturday and then shot a seven-over 78 to finish at a total of five-over 289 and in 50th place.
Lahiri’s luck or putting did not change as he carded one-over 72 and ended at 10-over 294 and in tied-57th place.
Olympic history for Britain
Great Britain’s Justin Rose followed in the footsteps of the long-departed George Lyon of Canada when he climbed onto the podium to collect the Olympic gold medal on Sunday.
On a sun-drenched final day, in front of a sell-out crowd at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course, Rose added the Olympic crown to his 2013 US Open title after a prolonged and exciting battle down the stretch with Sweden’s Henrik Stenson.
In the end, the packed grandstand which turned the 18th arena into a noisy sporting amphitheatre, watched spellbound as Rose got up-and-down from the side of the green for the birdie which sealed a worthy gold medal performance.
Stenson, who knew he needed to hole a 25-footer of his own to force a play-off, three-putted and the first Olympic golf competition since 1904 had a new champion.
Stenson, who emerged on top after a similarly epic shoot-out with Phil Mickelson in The Open at Royal Troon last night, had to accept second place this time and the silver medal was a deserving reward for his part in a wonderful spectacle which saw Matt Kuchar of the United States claim the bronze medal after a course record-equalling last round of 63.
Rose finished with four rounds in the sixties and his closing 67 secured the gold medal with a 16-under-par total of 268.
Stenson took silver with a fourth-round 68 for 270 and Kuchar’s swashbuckling last day brought home the remaining medal on 271.
The leading three players completed the 72-hole test detached from the rest of the field, in which Belgium’s Thomas Pieters finished a highly creditable fourth after slicing 12 shots off his third-round 77 with a final day 65.
After holing out for a birdie four on the 18th, Rose punched the air in celebration and fell into the arms of his wife, Kate, before savouring the medal ceremony.
“Olympic gold medalist — It sounds absolutely incredible,” said the 36-year-old. “I was on that last green, just sort of pinching myself and taking myself back to the quote that I had given about the Olympics all along — that I hoped my resume one day read: ‘multiple major champion and Olympic gold medalist’ and if that happened then I’d be a very, very happy man.
“I pretty much just need the multiple major now, but for the most part, I’m there on that quote.”
