Rose cuts short holiday to keep dazzling run going
NOTHING puts Justin Rose’s stunning form into context like the fact you have to go back to 2008 and the last great flourish of Tiger Woods’s career to find the most recent player who mustered 10 top-10 finishes in a row. No wonder he took a much shorter winter break than his peers and is back at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship this morning, just three weeks after his eight-shot victory in Indonesia. ‘It’s really important to take a break so you miss the game but there was no point in me taking a prolonged off-season,’ he said. ‘I want to keep this form going and maintain my momentum.’ To judge by his hitting in practice, he looks ready to pick up from where he left off against a strong field featuring Rory McIlroy and world No 1 Dustin Johnson. ‘I played nine holes with Justin on Tuesday and he is killing it,’ said Paul Casey. While just one of Woods’s top 10s came outside the US, Rose’s 10 top 10s have come in seven countries — with wins in China, Turkey and Indonesia — to boost his status as arguably the game’s pre-eminent performer. At 37, Rose sees this as the start of a five-year plan to shore up his legacy as one of the greatest ever European players. He wants a regular diet of trophies and he’s thrilled by the dramatic upturn in his strike rate. ‘I’m excited by the thought of what I can achieve,’ he said. ‘I can still see areas where I can improve but I can do that and still tick a lot of boxes on a weekly basis. It’s an exciting time.’ Rose will be pushed this week by Johnson, who deserves credit for turning out in Abu Dhabi, even if a seven-figure appearance fee did play its part. ‘I enjoy playing outside America and it’s a goal of mine to win around the world,’ said the 33-year-old. With the rough scaled back and the course a little softer than usual, it’s almost as if the organisers are giving him a helping hand as he seeks to repeat his dominant eight-stroke win in Hawaii 10 days ago. ‘I finished runner-up last year and it helps that I know the course a little better this year,’ he said. The cast also includes Casey, playing in his first event since rejoining the tour last year. Earmarked already for a Ryder Cup slot, Casey is a two-time winner of this event. ‘I’m overwhelmed by the welcome I’ve received,’ said Arizona-based Casey, ranked 14th in the world. ‘My practice has been rubbish because I’ve been too busy saying hello to everybody but it’s great to be back.’