Rose can bloom with Bubba

JUSTIN ROSE is hoping to take a ride on Bubba Watson’s coat- tails to transform himself from a Masters metronome into an Augusta contender this year.

Rose has never missed a cut in his nine starts but taking the next step requires the sort of extra ingredient Watson routinely adds when he tees off at the Masters.

So landing a place in the defending champion’s group for the fi rst two days suits Rose just fi ne. And while he would be crazy to try to follow the unique blueprint Watson employs – the redneck from Florida views a golf course in curves where others see it in straight lines – the Englishman hopes some of the Bubba magic can rub off.

“The course suits Rory, suits Dustin, obviously suits Bubba. There’s a few guys it suits and I’d like to think I’m one of them,” said Rose.

“My caddie Mark Fulcher thinks it’s a tournament I can win and I’ve had good experiences at Augusta. I’ve had painful experiences, which are valuable too.

“If you were to guarantee me a great putting week, I’d take my chances.”

The 2013 US Open champion has endured a poor start to 2015 with three missed cuts in eight tournaments and no top- 10 fi nishes, but he and Lee Westwood are England’s most likely challengers.

Westwood’s record is also a model of consistency with 11th place his lowest Masters fi nish in the past fi ve years. “I always have a certain amount of confi dence coming in ,” said Westwood. “I’ve got a game plan for the course and I can feel my way around it.”

Sheffi eld’s Danny Willett, who has been practising with Westwood ahead of his Masters debut, is in the second group out today along with former champion Larry Mize and Californian amateur Byron Meth.