Justin Rose has been at the top for long enough not to need to prove himself again. He has been World Number One, Olympic champion, winner of the FedEx Cup and one of the most respected figures in golf over the past two decades. However, when asked about the possibility of winning a second major this week at Shinnecock Hills, the Englishman admits the challenge still holds a special appeal. Not so much for what it would mean for his legacy, but for what it would mean to him personally.
The 2013 US Open champion begins his 21st appearance at the tournament convinced he can still compete with the best. Recent results back that up. He was runner-up at the The Masters just two months ago and arrives on Long Island feeling that his game is in good shape. “I’m seeing a lot of positive signs. At the Memorial I played quite well and the statistics were good. Even last week in Canada, although I missed the cut, it was probably the best missed cut I could have had because the game didn’t feel bad,” he explained.
At 45, Rose still plans much of his season around the Majors. “They are the tournaments that capture all my attention. I try to plan the season to be ready for them, make sure I rest well and tick as many boxes as possible during preparation to give myself the best chance to compete,” he noted. And the conversation inevitably turned to what it would mean to lift a second major thirteen years after the first. Rose surprised with a reflection full of perspective…
“Being a multiple major champion is better than being a one-time major champion, of course. But after having been World Number One, winning Olympic gold, the FedEx Cup or finishing as number one in Europe, I feel it’s less important than it might seem from the outside,” he said. Far from obsessing about legacy or how he will be remembered, the Englishman focused on a much more personal matter: “Yes, it would change my career in the sense that it would prove to myself again that I am capable of reaching that level. Winning another major now would be like winning the first one again”
It’s not an ordinary remark. Rose doesn’t talk about rankings, money or statistics. He talks about the challenge of finding again a version of himself that seemed reserved for another stage of his career. Thirteen years after his victory at Merion, the motivation is no longer to prove anything to the world. It’s to prove it once more to himself. And the Englishman also believes that Shinnecock Hills offers the perfect stage to try. “The course is as enjoyable as I’ve ever seen it. I think the USGA has made good decisions and the course is set to offer a great championship”
He also backed the decision to reduce the intended speed of the greens in view of the strong gusts of wind expected during the week. “It’s necessary. With winds of up to 40 miles per hour you wouldn’t be playing many other majors. I think it’s the right decision so that the championship can be contested fairly,” he explained.
Rose knows better than anyone that the years pass for everyone. But he also knows that golf has a particular quality that sets it apart from other sports: it allows talent, experience and competitive intelligence to keep having a voice when the body is no longer the same. For that reason he doesn’t give up on anything. And perhaps therein lies the most powerful message of his appearance. Thirteen years after winning his only major, Justin Rose still believes he can write another great chapter of his career. And, judging by what has been seen in this year’s majors, he probably has reason to do so.
