Justin Rose excited by Scottish Open on tour

IT IS doubtful if there is a golfer more interesting to listen to these days than Justin Rose, as he proved once again at Wentworth yesterday on topics that included the Scottish Open going on tour and unusual uses for the US Open trophy.

Rose has committed to joining the likes of defending champion Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy in Aberdeen. Picture: Getty

After this year’s staging at Royal Aberdeen in July, the Scottish Open is set to move around the country as part of a plan by the event’s three partners – the European Tour, the Scottish Government and Aberdeen Asset Management – to showcase 
venues in the home of golf.

East Lothian neighbours Gullane and The Renaissance Club are in the running for the 2015 event, while a return to Castle Stuart in Inverness has been 
pencilled in the year after, with Dundonald Links in Ayrshire in the frame for 2017.

Rose, whose last appearance in the event was at Castle Stuart in 2011, has committed to joining the likes of defending champion Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy in Aberdeen and is excited about the prospect of the event moving around Scotland.

“I think it’s an excellent idea,” said the US Open champion. “I liked Castle Stuart, but I played Royal Aberdeen a long time ago in a junior match and, although my recollections are vague, it’s a great links course.

“We want to play the best courses in the world, certainly the ones in Scotland, but I think the Scottish Open organisers are also aware that they don’t need to set the course up for it like an Open Championship.

“Players don’t want to play two majors back-to-back, so I think they have a very nice date and a very nice plan for the 
tournament.”

Before turning his attention to that event, Rose is looking forward to playing on home soil at Wentworth this week then defending his US Open title at Pinehurst next month.

He has enjoyed gazing at the US Open trophy over the last 11 months, first as it sat on a piano at his home in Florida then, in recent weeks, on a dresser in his bedroom “so that every morning I woke up I’d see it”.

As for its unusual uses, Rose, who reckons his best perk for becoming a major winner was sitting in the Royal Box as Andy Murray became Wimbledon champion, revealed that his son, Leo, had probably come up with the best one.

“He had some ice cream out of it and we got some great video of that – memories that will last a lifetime,” admitted Rose.

For information purposes only – at least that is what he claimed – he also revealed that the trophy holds five bottles of bubbly.