Rose edges Monty out of my top 10
When it comes to the finest european golfers of all time, nobody could credibly argue against a top three of Sir nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Rory McIlroy.
But who is to say Justin Rose does not now deserve a proud place inside the top 10 alongside Padraig harrington, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Jose-Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia, following his latest, extraordinary WGC Champions success in China on Sunday?
Placing him above Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie is not something that anyone who witnessed the latter pair in their prime would bestow lightly. But Rose’s epic victory over world no 1 Dustin Johnson added lustre to a legacy of not only winning tournaments when up against the best, but doing so on stages all around the world.
This was Rose’s 20th tournament victory and they have come in no fewer than 10 different countries, while you might have to go back to the era of Gary Player, Jack nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to find the last golfer who has won on every continent bar Antarctica.
even Rose’s seven wins on American soil have come in six different states.
When it comes to Westwood and Monty, the fact they mustered one victory between them on the PGA Tour will always count against them. With Rose, there are simply no such gaps on his c.v.
he has won a major (the US Open in 2013), two WGCs, an Order of Merit title, and been a rock in two winning Ryder Cup teams. Then there is that prize he has got that is currently unique to him, one that is only going to grow in value as the years go by — an Olympic gold medal.
Rose has had plenty of disappointments over the years, including two dramatic slumps when he lost his way completely. Losing the play-off to Garcia for the Masters in April really hurt. But he has shown the requisite character to bounce back each time, and the class to deal with adversity that has made him a model ambassador. how far up that revered top 10 can he climb? Right now, I would place him ahead of Garcia in ninth position but, once you get beyond the inviolable claims of the top three, there really is not a lot to choose between the rest. Over the next five years, there is certainly every expectation that 37-year-old Rose will start breathing down the neck of harrington in fourth spot.
For that to happen, he would need to win the Open or another US Open, or finally convert one of the opportunities he keeps giving himself at Augusta national — and he is plainly capable of doing that.
The exciting thing for Rose is he can chase these precious titles in the full knowledge his position among the all-time greats of the european game is now secure.