Justin Rose had a four-shot lead after eight holes on Wednesday during the second round of the Grand Slam of Golf, but Adam Scott added two birdies and an eagle on the back nine for the win.
Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, held the lead after making seven birdies and three bogies in the first round on Tuesday over the Port Royal Golf Course in Southhampton, Bermuda.
He opened with three pars in the second round on Wednesday before running off four consecutive birdies to gain a comfortable eight-shot lead through the first eight holes.
Rose would make bogies at Nos. 9 and 16, however, to finish at six-under par for the 36-hole tournament.
2013 Masters Champion Scott started the second round three shots behind Rose. He shot three-under par 33 on the first nine holes on Wednesday and his four-under par 31 on the back nine gave him a total of seven-under par 64. His aggregate eight-under par for the two days put him two shots clear of Rose for the win.
The eagle came at the par-5 No. 17 when he struck a nearly perfect 190-yard 6-iron from the middle of the fairway to within six inches of the hole.
The win caps off a stellar year for Scott. In addition to winning the Masters, he won The Barclays in the FedEx Cup playoffs and posted six top-10 finishes.
He ended the year ranked No. 11 in the FedEx Cup standings and rose to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).
Even though Rose fell to second in the Grand Slam of Golf, he had a very good year in 2013. He won his first major title, had seven top-10 finishes, including two runners-up and finished the year at No. 5 in the OWGR.
PGA Champion Jason Dufner finished third in the Grand Slam of Golf. After shooting a four-under par 32 on the front nine on Tuesday, he struggled on the back side with three bogies and only one birdie. He posted a two-under par 69 and was trailing Rose by two shots.
On Wednesday Dufner made bogies at Nos. 4 and 10 before making birdies at Nos. 12, 14 and 16. His final round one-under par 70 left him at three-under par for the two days.
Open Championship winner Phil Mickelson did not play in the Grand Slam of Golf citing family obligations. His spot was taken by 2012 Grand Slam winner and three-time major champion Padraig Harrington.
Harrington had a solid year and his game continues to improve, but he was no match for the other three major champions this week.
He made one double bogey, four bogies and three birdies for a three-over par 74 on Tuesday. On Wednesday he played consistent golf with just one bogey and one birdie for an even-par 71. His two-day total of three-over par left him 11 shots behind the winner.
The Grand Slam of Golf is sponsored by Bermuda’s tourism industry and promoted by the PGA of America. It is a reward for the four major champions of the year.
Scott collects $600,000 for the win plus a nice week on one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Rose earned $300,000 for second, Dufner wins $250,000 and Harrington gets $200,000 as a consolation.
This is a made for television event and helps to boost Bermuda tourism. It gives the four major winners a nice Christmas fund bonus and week in the sun, but does not have any real relevance to golf rankings.