Rose ready to bloom in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship
World number four, Justin Rose, widely viewed as one of the greatest hopes to potentially end England’s 16-year Major drought, believes he has what it takes to win on his Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship debut next year.
With a US$2.7m prize fund up for grabs at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 17-20, Rose joins a superstar line-up that now features four of the world’s top 10 players, including one and three, Rory McIlory and Tiger Woods, as well as America’s Jason Dufner – the world number eight and another Abu Dhabi debutant.
“Starting the year in Abu Dhabi has always been very appealing to me and I’m keen to begin next season at a tournament that year-in-year-out is attracting the world’s best players,” said Rose, who finished as the PGA European Tour’s number one in 2007 to win the coveted Harry Vardon Trophy and Order of Merit. “Abu Dhabi’s profile is now up there with some of the world’s leading events and I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback from players on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Rose’s family moved to England when he was aged five. After a promising junior career, Rose – then a precociously talented teenager – burst on to the international scene at the 1998 Open Championship when he claimed the silver medal as the best-finishing amateur. Rose has since notched up an impressive nine PGA titles – four in North America and five on the European Tour.
Equally well-respected in Europe and the States, arguably the biggest win of Rose’s career came last March at the World Golf Championship event at Doral Golf Resort & Spa. The 32-year-old father of two followed up his Florida heroics by playing a major part in Team Europe’s dramatic comeback against the United States at Medinah Country Club in Chicago. Staring a singles defeat in the face, Rose holed two monster putts on 16 and 17 to come-from-behind and triumph one-up over Team America stalwart, Phil Mickelson.
On-the-back of his Ryder Cup glory, an in-form Rose won the eight-man Turkish Airlines World Finals in October, defeating compatriot Lee Westwood by a single stroke in the final. The win capped an impressive year for Rose, who is now eyeing England’s first Major in over 15 years – a feat last achieved with Nick Faldo’s Green Jacket win at the US Masters in 1996.
“I’ve had a good year and I’m really looking forward to the possibilities that a new one will bring,” added Rose. “I’ve played some of the best golf of my career this year and a good start in Abu Dhabi is an exciting opportunity to prolong the success – it will hopefully get me in the right track to go on and potentially do some great things through next season.
“I feel pretty relaxed with where my game is at the moment and with some rest over the upcoming Christmas period I’m confident I can maintain the momentum and make next season even more successful.”
