ROSE AND FROWN
Brit hope Justin on painkillers as he fights back injury
JUSTIN ROSE is ready to play through the pain barrier at the 100th US PGA after a back injury stopped him playing a practice round.
The world No.3 pulled out of last week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. And the Ryder Cup star has only walked around the Bellerive Country Club with wedges and a putter this week.
He passed a fitness test on the range yesterday with a physio in attendance and is determined tee up in his 34th consecutive Major with the help of painkillers.
Rose had been England’s best hope of a first win in this event for 99 years after finishing in the top 12 of all three Majors this year, including tied-second at The Open.
And victory here would see him overtake Dustin Johnson as world No.1 if the American finishes out- side the top seven. But his latest injury setback has thrown his preparations into disarray before the final Major of the season. He is due to tee off late, at 1.37pm local time, with Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm. “I’m managing it the best as I can,” said the 2013 US Open champion. “I felt something last week in my back and I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to force it.
“It’s not a muscle injury, just a blip after all the golf we’ve been playing but I’ve got to be careful with all the golf we’ve got to come.
“I’ve been taking painkillers the last few days, but it is just a matter of not thinking about the pain. Would I be trying to play if it wasn’t a Major? Possibly not.”
Rose has played every Major since missing the 2010 US Open. He was dogged by back problems in 2016 when he did not play in May and then stopped for two months in October after winning Olympic gold and playing in the Ryder Cup.
The Florida-based star won his ninth PGA Tour title with a twisted ankle at the Fort Worth Invitational in May.
“I’ve been through it all before with my back,” he said. “I won the Colonial on one leg in May so maybe there’s even an omen.”
An inch of rain fell in Missouri on Tuesday to make Bellerive Country Club a slog in practice yesterday.
“It’s going to play heavy and long but it’s not one where you need to put in a lot of practice,” Rose added. “It’s just target golf, you’ve just got to hit your numbers and hit it to the right quadrants on the greens. I can see some guys shooting very low.”
Rory McIlroy, who has won his four Majors on soaked courses, added: “Where your ball lands is where it’s going to really stay.”