JUSTIN Rose was left to reflect on a good year at the major championships after finishing fourth at the PGA Championship.

He may not have added to the US Open title he won two years ago, but the north Hampshire golfer has been tremendously consistent at the top events this year, finishing inside the top six at three out of the four majors, with a cumulative total of -34.

"I've played good golf in the majors this year and I'm a lot under par," Rose said after finishing on -14, six shots behind Australia's Jason Day, at Whistling Straits. "It just hasn't been my week in any of them.

"I thought coming into this week 14-under-par would be great. Actually it's ironic that's what I finished on, but I thought that would be a winning score.

"I played well, just more evidence that my game is there and ready to compete again and win a major championship. So you take confidence from it."

Rose got off to a slightly slow start at the final major of the year, finding himself two-over-par after four holes, but he recovered well to post an opening round of 69 (-3).

A second round of 67 (-5) put him in contention going into the weekend, while he was just three shots off the lead going into the final round after shooting 68 (-4) on day three.

The former Robert May's School pupil did all he could to remain in the hunt during the front nine, while a birdie at the 11th briefly had him just two shots behind leader Jason Day at -16.

However, Rose found an awkward spot in a greenside bunker at 13 and the resulting double bogey dropped him out of contention for the win, while a bogey at the last cost him a share of third place, the Hook golfer finishing with a round of 70 (-2).

Rose said: "I did all I could really through the front nine, but the double bogey on 13 took the wind out of my sails, which was very untimely."

The result saw Rose climb to fifth in both the world rankings and FedEx Cup standings. His next tournament is the opening event of the season-ending FedEx Cup Play-offs, The Barclays, which gets under way at Plainfield CC, in New Jersey, next Thursday.