I’m ready to bloom, says Justin Rose

Jul 17 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

JUSTIN ROSE believes there is only one way he can recreate the greatest "buzz" of his golfing career.

And that is by standing on the 18th green at Royal Birkdale on Sunday with his arms wrapped around the Claret Jug.

Nothing else would come close to that afternoon 10 years ago when a 17-year-old amateur with a headline writer’s gift for a name produced a pitch which landed softly, skipped forward and rolled crisply into the hole for a birdie three which brought what seemed like half of North West England to their feet in a crescendo of appreciation.

That shot secured fourth place in the Open for Rose, leaving him just one behind Tiger Woods and queuing up behind winner Mark O’Meara in the media tent to spill the details of an adventure which included a second round 66.

Rose was back in that same media tent on the eve of the 137th Open, older and wiser, but still dreaming that destiny lies in those Merseyside sand hills.

Rose said: "This place has lots of wonderful memories for me. I’ve never experienced a bigger buzz than that moment on the 18th green when that pitch shot went in. I’ve had as satisfying moments on the golf course but never quite that sort of buzz."

"I’ve always thought about what I achieved in ’98 as being the next best thing to winning the Open. For me to experience something bigger I need to go on and win this golf tournament."

Easy to say, not so easy to execute on a course which threatens to be an exacting test of driving skill if the wind blows as it has done in practice.

Rose preferred to work on his short game rather than play a third full practice round and he predicts the tournament could turn into a battle for "survival" if conditions match the "brutally tough" winds of Wednesday.

If that is the case, then Rose could be worth a wager when you consider his experience of links golf in atrocious conditions growing up in Britain and as an amateur in the 1997 Walker Cup.

He said: "I tend to play well on the tougher courses but this is a fair golf course. Whenever you play a fair test you can’t argue with it. This gives me a great chance. I’m hitting the ball well and I’m very comfortable on the course."

Rose also represents the counter-argument to all those who believe the event has lost much of its intrigue and appeal in the absence of Tiger Woods, mostly because his story is as much about the manner in which he has overcome adversity as that magical weekend a decade ago.

There were those 21 straight missed cuts, the death of his father and mentor Ken and the determination to redesign his swing with golf guru David Leadbetter.

Testing times, all negotiated with charm and dignity.

Since then he has won the European Tour Order of Merit in 2007 and showed major-winning potential by leading the US Masters after the first round three times, last year finishing fifth.

He is also the only Briton in the top 10 in the world rankings - currently lying ninth.

But at 27 - the age Sandy Lyle won in 1985 - it is time for potential to be realised. Time for the cold hand of professionalism to replace the exuberant muse of youth.

Rose agreed: "I feel like I’ve come through it all a stronger person, a better player hopefully. Had I not had the hard times who knows what would have happened?

"Obviously ’98 was a magical week. It was a week where I was the underdog, the amateur, I got the crowd behind me. It was a unique situation.

"This week is all about me trusting my game. Going out there with the intent to do it rather than with the hope to do it as I did in ’98.

"I’m not trying to put my chances of winning this tourmament in the hands of fate. I just want to prepare hard, play hard and hopefully that’s what does the trick for me rather than just thinking this place is a magical wonderland for me."