English golfer Justin Rose clinches US Open title

Justin Rose tees off on the 18th hole during the final round of the US Open golf championship. Credit: Reuters

English golfer Justin Rose clinched his first major title in the US Open, beating American Phil Mickelson by two shots.

Rose carded a closing 70 at Merion to condemn Mickelson to his sixth runners-up finish in the event - and on his 43rd birthday.

Tony Jacklin was the last Englishman to win the US Open in 1970 - 10 years before Rose was born - while Nick Faldo was the last to win a major in the 1996 US Masters.

But Rose had said after the second round that he knew "deep down" he could win a major and held his nerve on a dramatic final day, carding five birdies and five bogeys to finish one over par.

The 32-year-old raised his fingers to the sky after tapping in for par on the last, a tribute to his father Ken, a massive influence on his career who died from leukaemia in 2002.

An emotional Rose said:

Mickelson's closing 74 saw him finish two shots behind Rose in a share of second with Australian Jason Day, with Jason Dufner, Open champion Ernie Els, Billy Horschel and Hunter Mahan two shots further back.

Luke Donald, who played with Rose, recovered from a front nine of 42 - his tee shot to the third having hit a female volunteer - to come home in 33 and finish alongside Steve Stricker on six over.