Rose ready to bloom anew

Now that he has got that pesky major out of the way, Justin Rose is learning to savor the quest for his next big title.

He is not nearly as optimistic about England's chances in the World Cup.

Rose is the reigning champion heading into the US Open at Pinehurst, a player who is certainly more at ease with his place in golf now that he has got one of those prestigious titles on his resume.

"In the last few months I sort of realized what I have achieved and it's time to embrace it, enjoy it, and let that be the strength for me to go on and win more," Rose said on Tuesday.

Of course, there is another big sporting event beginning this week, one that will certainly have the attention of Rose and his fellow English players.

England has a huge opening match in the World Cup against Italy on Saturday, about the time the third round of the Open is wrapping up in North Carolina.

Reflecting the mood of his homeland, Rose is not very hopeful. England's only World Cup title came in 1966 and expectations are low for this team, a youthful squad playing in one of the most difficult groups.

"I would say there's probably more chance of one of us winning the major than England winning the World Cup," said Rose, among 11 English players in the Pinehurst field. "Sad to say."

Rose's primary focus will be on his bid to become the first repeat US Open champion in a quarter-century.

Last year's triumph at Merion had been in the making for nearly that long, ever since Rose finished fourth as an 18-year-old amateur at the 1998 British Open.

He spent the next 15 years trying to finish the job, chasing a major title that seemed increasingly elusive as the close calls began to pile up, the weight of expectations becoming almost too much to bear.

Then, just when it seemed he might have a lifetime membership in the Best Players Never To Win A Major club, Rose won a duel with Phil Mickelson at the venerable club outside Philadelphia, clinching the title with a 4-iron into the demanding 18th hole that gave him the par he needed to hold off 'Lefty'.

"I haven't been one of those guys who said, 'OK, well, I'm going to win X amount of majors in my career,'" Rose said.

"I really want to treat this major that I've won now as a gift and let it give me the ability to sort of free-wheel for the rest of my career - play free, play loose, just go after it. I've really got no pressure on me."

Not surprisingly, the US Golf Association paired Rose and Mickelson in the first two rounds.

Both hope they will be playing together in the final group on Sunday.

(China Daily 06/12/2014 page23)