Justin still has drive to win at PGA

JUSTIN Rose is adamant he retains the drive and ambition to get his career back on an upward trajectory and win more of the game’s biggest titles.

Rose won the US Open in 2013 and Olympic gold in Rio three years later, but has not tasted victory since February 2019 and missed the cut in the Masters for just the second time in his career last month following two rounds of 76.

Such results have seen the former world number one sitting outside the top 50 for the first time in more than a decade, yet Rose is relishing the challenge of overcoming the latest difficult spell of a career which began with 21 straight missed cuts after turning pro.

“I feel like it’s a valuable little reset I have,” Rose said ahead of the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills. “I’ve always tried to pride myself on how I play in majors and that’s obviously the goal right now. I’m working hard and feeling very motivated.

“I think that’s what playing badly gives you. It tells you what you’ve got to do to play better and sometimes that work will either feel daunting or exciting and I actually feel quite excited by the challenge of the work and the practice.

“That’s kind of been how I’ve always operated. Sometimes it hasn’t been the smoothest career but whenever my back has been against the wall it does inspire me to do what it takes to get out of the position.”

Asked if he still has the determination to get back to the top, Rose added: “One hundred per cent. I’m 41, time is ticking and you don’t have forever to achieve those goals so it does feel like there’s an intensity to the work.

“There’s still that belief there and that’s the most important thing. I still believe I have some fantastic days ahead of me.

“It’s now down to form and execution and I feel like those parts of the puzzle are what you need. I definitely feel like I’m working smarter.

“There was a period this year where I was chopping and changing feels and tactics, and I was struggling. I was trying to find something but I’ve fallen on a concept and a path now and feel I’m building layer upon layer rather than each work trying to find the path.”