Justin Rose in Pole Position for Olympic Gold

The Englishman's third round of 65 included two eagles and four birdies

Justin Rose

Justin Rose played a sublime 65 on Saturday to hold the 54-hole lead in the men's Olympics golf tournament

Justin Rose in Pole Position for Olympic Gold

Team GB could be getting a gold medal tomorrow in the men's Olympic golf tournament ahead of the final day which is set up beautifully.

Justin Rose shot a stunning 6-under-par 65 on Saturday to snatch the lead from Australia's Marcus Fraser.

How to watch the Olympic golf

The world number 12 began the day three behind Fraser but now leads by one from Henrik Stenson at -12.

Could we see a Stenson vs Mickelson-esque battle tomorrow?

Rose shot out of the blocks by birdieing the first and then eagling the par-4 3rd and par-5 fifth to go out in 31 (-4). He came back in 34 with three birdies and a bogey.

The Englishman is gunning to be the first Olympics gold medal winner in golf since Canada's George Lyon won in 1904.

If he did go on to win gold, it would be his first tournament victory since the 2015 Hong Kong Open last October.

Fraser, who led after day one and two, shot a one-over-par round of 72 to trail Rose by three but will play in the final threesome with the Englishman alongside Stenson.

Justin Rose

Stenson trails by one after 54-holes just as he did at in The Open at Troon last month

Open champion Henrik Stenson is just one behind Rose at -11 after a second successive 68 as he looks to add the Gold Medal to his Claret Jug.

The Swede was out in level par but rallied home with birdies at 10,  14 and 15 in a faultless back nine.

South Africa's Jaco Van Zyl had the shot of the day with an ace at the par-3 eighth for Olympic golf's second-ever hole-in-one.

Team GB's Danny Willett shot 69 (-2) with five birdies but triple-bogeyed the par-3 sixth. He sits in T14th, six shots behind the bronze medal position.

Rickie Fowler had the best round of the day with a 7-under-par 64, carding a brilliant front-nine of 29 (-6) which included four birdies and an eagle.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV