GOLDEN OLDIE'S VICTORY GAVE ME PUSH I NEEDED

Mickelson's PGA win at 50 was an inspiration for Rose

- By Neil McLeman

JUSTIN ROSE is taking his inspiration from Phil Mickelson winning the 2021 US PGA Championship at 50.

And the plan seems to be working after Rose, 45, became the oldest European winner on the PGA Tour by claiming a playoff victory at the FedEx St Jude Championship on Sunday.

The win means the new world No.9 will see his “golden summer” extend, as it confirms his seventh Ryder Cup appearance at Bethpage Black next month.

Rose first found fame as a 17-yearold qualifier in the 1998 Open at Royal Birkdale, where he chipped in at the last to finish tied fourth.

And the 2013 US Open champion is still producing stunning finishes. He birdied six of his last eight holes on Sunday — including the final two in a three-hole playoff — to beat US Open champion JJ Spaun.