Olympic Golf Champion Fancies Chances at Carnoustie

(ATR) Rio 2016 Olympic golf champion Justin Rose believes that his game is in the right place to ascertain his first major tournament victory since winning Olympic gold.

Many consider Rose a significant threat this week as the Open Championship returns to the links of Carnoustie, Scotland, for the first time since 2007. Revered for its narrow fairways, howling winds and devilish bunkers, many consider Carnoustie to be the toughest championship golf course in the world.

In the season following the Rio Olympics, the 37-year-old British golfer nearly won the Masters tournament in April, losing in a sudden death playoff to Sergio Garcia, but then struggled at the remaining majors, missing cuts at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship and finishing a dismal joint 54th at the British Open.

"I changed my swing right after Rio – my back was still pretty bad," Rose said, responding to a question from Around the Rings at a news conference in Carnoustie, before his practice round on Tuesday. "Last summer was a byproduct of that."

However, Rose has found consistency in 2018. At the Masters Tournament, he ended tied for 12th and improved upon that with a tied for 10th finish at the U.S. Open in Shinnecock Hills, New York, last month. He entered Sunday’s final round just one shot off the lead before dropping down the leaderboard.

The Englishman won the Fort Worth Invitational in Texas in May, returning him to his highest-ever position of third in the Official World Golf Ranking.

"I’m excited with where my game is at," Rose said. "I expect to create an opportunity at some point this week. I guess that’s the self-belief that I have at the moment and I’m happy with that."

In 16 appearances at the Open Championship, Rose’s best result came as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998, when he finished a highly unexpected fourth. A British golfer has not won the Open since Nick Faldo in 1992.

Rose has one career major tournament victory, as he claimed top honors at the 2013 U.S. Open at the Merion Golf Club in Philadelphia.

At Rio 2016, Rose outdueled Sweden’s Henrik Stenson in a tight and thrilling final round at the Reserva da Marapendi course. Paired together, Rose fired 67 to Stenson’s 68 to win Olympic gold by two strokes. American Matt Kuchar took bronze.

Following the gold medal performance, Rose said of golf’s inclusion at the Games: "It’s very important for Olympic golf going forward – I don’t know who wouldn’t want to be part of a great competition on Sunday afternoon with the best players in the world."

Rose said that while he was extremely proud to be the first men’s Olympic golf champion in 112 years, he no longer carries his gold medal with him.

"I did for a little while – it was fun for a bit," Rose said. "I got the sense the boys were getting irritated after two or three months doing it and I thought that’s enough.

"But yes, when you win a tournament like that, you have four years of bragging rights. It’s been a fun deal, but it’s resting nice and quietly at home."

American golfers have won the last five major championships, starting with Brooks Koepka’s first of two successive U.S. Open titles in 2017. Rose believes he or another European golfer could snap the U.S. streak.

"It’s not like we’re a mile behind – it’s just they’re on a great run right now ad there’s no reason that a European player shouldn’t come through this week."

Should Rose rise to the occasion at Carnoustie and win the elusive major title, he would ascend to number one in the World Golf Rankings.

"I want to get to world No. 1 by winning and that keeps my goal simple," Rose said. "Yeah, I want to win the Open, no doubt about it."

Written and reported by Brian Pinelliin Carnoustie, Scotland

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