CRAZY GOLF
Rose proves players are game for a laugh after stripping to boxers and braving alligators to play from water
WITH the world No 1 slot up for grabs, Justin Rose is going to remain fairly serious about his golf this summer.
But that doesn’t mean the Olympic gold medallist will shy away from the lighter side of a sport too often accused — with good reason — of being po-faced in the extreme.
If we shouldn’t expect to see Rose streaking across the greens at Gullane during this year’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, he isn’t about to apologise for shedding his trousers in pursuit of par at last month’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
The Englishman, inspired by playing partner Henrik Stenson’s famous on-course striptease, declared: ‘I thought I was quite restrained in keeping my shirt on!
‘Henrik set the bar quite high at Doral by going down to his tighty whiteys. I really wasn’t keen to get in that water. One because it meant taking my kit off — and two because it was full of snakes and alligators.
‘But my partner proceeded to take a bogey, which forced me to get into the water.
‘We posted it on my social media account, a picture of me and a picture of Henrik side by side.
‘I definitely tried to make light of it. It certainly wasn’t a publicity stunt in any way.
‘It was just that I had these really light trousers on and it was a disgusting muddy lake.
‘As it turned out, the way I hit the ball, I would probably have come away as clean as a whistle if I had kept my pants on. My trousers on, I should say!
‘I think people enjoy seeing a different side of pro golfers, a light-hearted approach to something.
‘Because the perception can be that we are too focused, very rigid, always trying to be too professional.’
Always one of the more genial players, Rose is currently ranked fifth in the world behind new WGR leader Justin Thomas — well within striking distance of that coveted top spot.
‘World No1 for me is a byproduct of playing great golf.
‘Of course it’s a goal, a dream to say you are the No 1 player in the world. Justin Thomas nipped in there last week but there are a lot of guys — Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson — who are right there.
‘It could trade around quite a bit in the coming weeks.
‘But absolutely, the chance to make that No1 spot mine with some great golf coming up, it’s a huge motivation.
‘And it’s only going to happen by winning tournaments.’
Having missed the Scottish Open last year, Rose will be just one of several big names teeing up in East Lothian on the eve of The Open at Carnoustie.
And, although organisers have been quick to quash any notion that the Tiger Woods comeback trail might include a July week in Gullane, Rose — a management stablemate of the great man — says he wouldn’t be overly shocked by the American suddenly pitching up to play.
‘I think Tiger is definitely more open to changing his schedule now than he ever has been before,’ said Rose.
‘When he was playing at the peak of his powers, he knew what worked for him and he stuck to it. Now, he’s trying to find his way back to being his best — and he does need to explore other options.
‘But he’s been a guy who has always prepared his own way.
‘He has played practice rounds at 6am for as long as I can remember — and teed off at 2pm in the final round on Sunday for as long as I can remember.
‘So he would always prepare in a slightly different way to how he’d play on Sunday. But he knows how to get the job done.
‘Links golf, you do need to reacquaint yourself with it. So it wouldn’t surprise me.
‘I wouldn’t bet on it — but it wouldn’t surprise me.
‘When you see Tiger Woods making birdies, people get really excited by watching him get into that flow.
‘So although he shot maybe 65-69 at the weekend of The Players, he played much better than that; the scores didn’t reflect how well he played.
‘I think he’s close to winning. I mean, I’m close to winning, just haven’t shown it in the last few weeks. We’re all looking for that little spark — and it’s not something you can force.
‘So he has to be patient. But his game and skill set is ready to do the business.’
Rose is already licking his lips at the prospect of tackling a toughened-up Carnoustie in The Open, noting with some satisfaction that ‘you can’t fake it around that course’.
As preparation, the composite championship course at Gullane might not provide the same level of test. But playing for prize money a week before the main event just feels right, this year at least, for Rose.
‘For me, it’s always easy to say that the week before a major championship, you want to prepare for the major,’ he said.
‘But the Scottish Open is such a big event in its own right. It’s a Rolex Series event. Aberdeen Standard Investment have supported it for a long time, Martin Gilbert (chief executive) is clearly passionate about golf — and the Scottish government have put a lot of time and effort behind this.
‘They’ve grown it into the event it should be. We all know the history of golf in Scotland, the home of golf. So this event should be at the very top of the tree in terms of the Race to Dubai, the European Tour.’