World No9 finishes one shot clear of Cameron Tringale on 22 under parEnglishman has won at least once in six straight seasons

Justin Rose finished with back-to-back birdies to claim victory at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans.

It was a long Sunday at the TPC Louisiana as the players were up early to complete their third rounds after Saturday’s numerous disruptions for bad weather, but Rose was rewarded at the end of it as he finished one shot clear of Cameron Tringale on 22 under for the tournament.

It was Rose’s seventh win on the PGA Tour and means he has won a title in each of the last six years.

“On my way to the course this morning I was thinking, 2010, 2011, 12, 13, 14, and trying to work it out,” he told Sky Sports. “Six years in a row is not easy to do and I’m incredibly grateful and proud of that stat.” This tournament had been plagued by bad weather since a thunderstorm struck on Friday afternoon. Play was suspended on Saturday evening with everyone still out on the course, leading to a busy Sunday.

Rose made a fast start to it as he joined Jason Day at the top of the leaderboard, finishing with a seven-under 65 to sit one shot clear of Daniel Berger and Blayne Barber. Back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh saw Barber move into the lead as the fourth round got going, but the American soon fell out of contention, bogeying the ninth and sealing his fate with a double bogey on the 17th after finding the water off the tee.

Jim Herman was the next to step up, making three birdies in a row on the ninth, 10th and 11th, but Rose responded with birdies on the seventh and eighth putting him one up. Cameron Tringale, whose only professional win was at the Franklin Templeton Shootout last year, emerged as the biggest threat when he eagled the par-five seventh to join Rose at 19 under, and then nosed in front with a birdie on the eighth.

Rose, 34, missed a birdie putt by no more than an inch on the 12th to stay one shot off the lead, but roles were reversed on the 13th as Tringale bogeyed and Rose made birdie. Rose, who finished in a tie for second place at the Masters earlier this month, stretched his lead with a birdie on the 17th but looked in trouble with a wayward second shot on the 18th. But a wonderful chip from 41ft set him up for the birdie putt and he pumped his fist with joy when he sank it for a two-shot clubhouse lead following a round of 66.

“It was quite a big break from right to left, about a foot, so when it went in I was pumped up,” said the Englishman, who saw Tringale go within a few inches of a birdie putt on the 17th, leaving him in need of an eagle to force a play-off. He had the chance with a chip from just off the green and a fine shot got within a few inches, but he had to settle for a birdie and second place with a round of 65. Rose looked relaxed watching on from the clubhouse as Day walked to the 18th tee needing an albatross to force a play-off, and his confidence was not misplaced with Day settling for a par five and a share of fourth place. “This is great to build on,” added Rose, who chased Jordan Spieth home at Augusta.

“The Masters was huge but it’s a second place. You can take a lot away from that but to knock down those last couple of putts here, as a player you can build on that and, if I find myself in a good position in a major championship, I can look back at those and take some confidence.”

Boo Weekley finished third, ahead of Jim Herman and Jason Day, who tied for fourth.