Justin Rose explains importance of 2023 Ryder Cup - 'moments I'll remember when I'm old'
He’d helped pull off the ‘Miracle of Medinah’ in 2012, picked up the most points on either team at Gleneagles two years later before being part of another winning European side at Le Golf National in France in 2018. But, once he’s done and dusted in golf, it’s this year’s Ryder Cup that Justin Rose will probably look back on with the fondest memories due to it proving a truly special week for the Englishman at Marco Simone Golf Club on the outskirts of Rome.
After missing out at Whistling Straits two years earlier, the former US Open champion was determined to make it back on to one of his favourite stages in golf and did so after being handed one of Luke Donald’s six wildcards. Along with Shane Lowry, there was pressure on Rose to deliver for the European captain and he did, producing one of the most impressive performances over the three days to secure a half point alongside Bob MacIntyre in the Friday fourballs before joining forces with the Scottish rookie again in the same format on the Saturday to beat Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Though he then lost to Patrick Cantlay in the singles, it was mission accomplished for Rose as Europe regained the coveted trophy.
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Hide Ad“Listen, those are moments that I’ll remember when I’m old,” the 2016 Olympic champion told The Scotsman.” I had to work hard to get back into the team. I had to make some sacrifices. There were times in the summer when I cancelled family holidays as I was thinking ‘I need to get to work’. Things I might not have done a year ago or two years ago. It shows you that it does mean a lot to me and when you get the feeling out of it that we were all able to have together in Rome, honestly that’s what you dream about as a kid. I’ve achieved so much in my career and I’ve been doing it so long that you do take it for a granted a tiny bit. Then you are starved from it for a few years and then taste it again and then all the hard work is worthwhile.”
Rose, who picked up the Nicklaus-Award presented by Aon for his week’s work in terms of exemplifying the true spirit of the Ryder Cup, was warmly praised by MacIntyre for the role he’d played in helping the Oban man cope with the most nerve-wracking experience of his young career, with the confidence MacIntyre gradually built up helping him beat the US Open champion, Wyndham Clark, in those singles matches.
“The narrative and story has been portrayed that way, but I was iust trying to be a good team-mate to him. I don’t think I went above and beyond,” insisted Rose in trying to play down his role. “I think I did what anyone else would have done. But also in terms of trying to coach Bob through it I was beng on my best coach as well, right? All the things I’d learned through the years, Bob was a great reason for me to dig deep in my reservoir of knowledge. It was a case of thinking ‘okay, this happened in this scenario before and I learned this or learned that’.
“So I was coaching myself as well as him. But he didn’t need much coaching. He actually played really well and just had a bit of a cold putter. Like I tell a lot of people, he did a lot of the unglamorous things really well. I made a few putts across the green that made it look flashy. But he had some really good up and downs in tough situations in tough moments in the match that jept us in the game and those are as importgant as the pitts to win holes, right? He worked hard for me and it was a brilliant week.”
The target for Rose now is making a seventh appearance against the Americans at Bethpage Black in 2025, when Europe will once again be led by Donald following his recent re-appointment, becoming a first repeat captain since Bernard Gallacher at Oak Hill in 1995. “I think he did such a good job with us all,” said Rose of long-time friend Donald. “I felt it was such a clean captaincy in the sense of his messaging was great, there was no drama at all during the week. He’s obviously got a great foundation to build a team as he’s gained the respect of all the players and you’ve got to imagine that 70 per cent of that team will be similar.
“So, yeah, I think he has a great foundation to move on with and obviously being an away captain from what I gather there’s a lot less work to do as well. Obviously he can work on the team but there’s a lot less hosting duties so for him second time around it will probably feel a bit of a breeze.”
By staying on, Donald has teed up an opportunity to join Tony Jacklin as the only European skipper to record back-to-back wins in the event. “Yeah, in this scenario I think it makes sense,” added Rose, who seems certain to become a captain himself in the future. “I think there’s also been the absence of a next captain coming through. Had there been a European legend ready to go who’d already been working towards this, then it might have been different. But I just think the scenario is perfect this time around and I think, most importantly, Luke can build off the hard work he’s already put in so it does make sense that a captain learns so miuch in the 18 months he’s doing it that it’s a shame when someone can’t take those learnings forward. So it’s a good decision.”
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