JUSTIN Rose was forced to settle for a share of 55th place at the opening World Golf Championships event of the year.
A five-over-par closing round of 77, which included three double bogeys, saw him drop 15 places on the final day to finish outside the top 50 at the Cadillac Championship.
The north Hampshire golfer was unable to find top gear throughout the tournament, finishing over par for all four of his rounds at Doral, in Miami.
An opening round of 73 (+1) was followed by a second round of 74 (+2), but he survived the cut before climbing to 40th place with a third round of 73 (+1).
Rose ended the event on +9, 18 shots behind eventual winner Dustin Johnson.
The former Robert May’s School pupil, who has dropped a place to ninth in the world rankings, will be hoping for a return to form at the Valspar Championship, which gets under way at Innisbrook, in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday.
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