Justin Rose is back in Britain sounding far happier about his game than he did when he left just over a month ago as he prepared to face a the new challenge of The London Golf Club for The European Open
The World Number Nine lines up at The European Open in Kent this week looking to make amends for his last “home” appearance at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club. While he missed the cut that week, shortly after came a second-place finish in the US PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament in Ohio and he said: “That's the one week I feel I putted to my expected standards and I was in contention, so that was good to know.
“I feel good about my game - things are going in the right direction and I'm working hard.”
As for The Heritage Course at The London Golf Club, Rose's caddie reported to him at the start of the week that it looked like a week for low scoring, but on playing it himself he reported: “Not so easy, scoring might not be low.”
Sergio Garcia received advice from his father, a member of the European Seniors Tour, that it could be a good course for him to play this week, particularly with the links feel ahead of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
“I heard good things about this course,” he said. “I wanted to take a look. My dad played here in a European Seniors Tour event last year, and he told me the course was pretty nice. Even though this course is not properly links, it does have a little bit more of a links kind of look.”
Garcia hopes a successful week will also help to build momentum ahead of The Open, where he plans to go one step better than last year’s second-placed finish.
At Carnoustie he came agonisingly close to lifting the Claret Jug but was denied glory when his eight foot putt to win slid by the hole.
"It took me just a couple of days to get over it," he said. "I just came up about half an inch too far left (a reference to his putt to win on the 72nd hole), but I felt like I learnt a lot and that probably made me a better player for this year.
"If I had made that putt maybe I would never have gone back to the short putter and never won The Players Championship.
"Everything happens for a reason and if I wasn't meant to win The Open last year there must be a reason for it."
Colin Montgomerie won this event at The K Club last year and is optimistic of further success despite the change in venue.
The 45 year old, who finished second at the Open de France ALSTOM last week, said: "I know that it’s a different golf course, but I have played The London Golf Club a few times and I have gained some confidence, so I look forward to it now.
"This is a big week for me defending here, then I have The Barclays Scottish Open, which speaks for itself, and then The Open. I'm looking forward to it."
