European team member Justin Rose was announced as the recipient of the Nicklaus-Jacklin Award presented by Aon following the conclusion of the 44th Ryder Cup in Rome.
Throughout the competition, Justin displayed exemplary character and poise in the face of one of sports’ most compelling atmospheres, all while maintaining sound decision making and representing the true spirit of the event. He has been a stalwart in the Team Europe dressing room, sharing his experience with a young team and leading by example by contributing key momentum building points when it mattered. On day one, Justin holed the decisive putt on the 18th to secure a tie, and his immediate reaction was to turn and acknowledge his teammates who stood beside the green – showcasing his belief that the team should always come first.
Justin was paired with Ryder Cup rookie Robert MacIntyre on day one and used his vast Ryder Cup experience to help guide the young Scotsman during his first Ryder Cup match, in what proved to be a tough battle against Max Homa and Wyndham Clark.
On day two, Justin continued his partnership with MacIntyre and they secured a decisive 3&2 victory against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, with Justin’s red-hot putter proving crucial. MacIntyre would go on to have an exceptional debut, collecting 2½ points.
Just as the efforts of Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin did in 1969, Rose exemplified the true values of this great game, cementing his place in Ryder Cup history at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. Justin has become the third player to receive this honour, following Dustin Johnson from the US team and Sergio Garcia from the European team, who won the Award at Whistling Straits two years ago.
Inspired by the historic 1969 Concession when Jack Nicklaus conceded a 2-foot putt to Tony Jacklin for a halved match resulting in the first tie in Ryder Cup history, the Award honours two icons in the game and is given to the player who best embodies the true spirit of the Ryder Cup – the individual who sees the bigger picture and makes better decisions on and off the course.
Speaking about winning the Nicklaus-Jacklin Award presented by Aon, Justin Rose said: “Winning this Award is a huge compliment. This event really pushes you to the limit because it has so much passion. You have to find that line and get close to it, but always stay on the right side and be respectful towards your opponent. The Americans played their heart out today and deserve a lot of respect. Novak Djokovic gave the team some advice earlier this week and really emphasised how you need to embrace a pressurised situation and use it as inspiration. The putt on the 18th on day one was a good example of where I tried to embrace the moment – I didn’t want to blemish such a great start by the team, and my immediate reaction was to embrace my teammates who had all performed so well as a group.
“The Ryder Cup is all about teamwork and I managed to put together a strong partnership with Bob. I made some putts at the right time on the first two days that made me look heroic, but he chipped away constantly and made a big contribution just when we needed to keep the momentum going. A big thank you to Aon – winning this Award will make today’s victory even sweeter for me.”
“As the 44th Ryder Cup comes to an end, we are reminded that golf is a game shaped by respect, integrity and decision making under pressure,” said Andy Weitz, Chief Marketing Officer of Aon. “This event represents the best of golf, and this Award represents the best of the Ryder Cup. As its presenting partner, we are proud to honour Justin as the recipient of this year’s Nicklaus-Jacklin Award presented by Aon. His display of character and skill throughout an intense match embodied the spirit of this event.”