ROCHESTER (N.Y.) — It’s easy to overlook the fact that England’s Justin Rose was once one of golf’s top ball strikers. He’s now 42 years old, but he was a star a few short years ago. He was a great ball striker, combining power and consistency both from the tee box and the fairway. These traits helped him win seven PGA Tour tournaments between 2010 and 2015, including the 2013 U.S. Open in Merion. He was ranked No. He was ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Rose’s shortcoming was his putting. However, when he had a good week with his putter he was unbeatable.
Rose was then sidelined by a series injuries, including a serious back injury which forced him to pull out of the 150th British Open in St. Andrews.
Rose’s results were not good (he missed five cuts on the PGA Tour last year and only recorded two top 10 finishes), but his game was improving. In February, Rose won his first PGA Tour event since the Farmers Insurance Open at the AT&T Pebble beach Pro-Am.
Justin Rose poses on the 18th green with the trophy during the final round at Pebble Beach Golf Links. (Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
At Oak Hill Country Club he has shown the form that could allow him to compete again in a major. Rose is 1 under par after shooting 70 in the second round at the PGA Championship. He’s still in the running despite Saturday’s expected rain and winds.
Rose, after signing his card on Friday, said: “I’ve always won more often than not when I play the harder courses. I believe [Oak Hill] suits my profile in that regard.” “This is up there. It feels a bit like a hybrid of PGA and U.S. Open this week. “I’m looking forward to the test.”
Rose’s putting is his greatest strength these days. Ironically, despite his great ball striking, which was his hallmark since he became a pro in 1999. You can see from the chart that he consistently ranked among the top putters of the PGA Tour over the past three seasons. His iron game has returned to form now that he is healthy. He could be a contender for Oak Hill.
Rose’s victory at Pebble Beach is also important in Rochester. He was asked whether his win in February had given him confidence.
He said, “I felt that the most important thing was to prove that I could win again.” “It’s not just about winning but also how I won,” he said. Once I was in the winning position, I felt very comfortable. It was clear to me that I had to win now or I would never. I settled in well. This was the most important thing I learned at Pebble. Those conditions and these conditions are completely different, in my opinion. This is another test. “But yeah, I’ve already done it, and knowing that I can do it again, is important.”
On Friday, a loose pitch shot led to a bogey, and on the seventh hole, his tee-shot went into the rough to the left, resulting in another bogey. He only hit one of the 14 fairways he had to choose from. When asked how he managed to shoot 70 with just one fairway, he replied, “Smoke & mirrors I guess.”
Rose’s smoke and mirrors will not work for the next 36 holes. But if he continues to putt and straightens out his driving, then he has shown that he knows how to win.
This is going to be a four-day course of making the most of every day.
