Rose says Royal Birkdale ‘doesn’t owe me anything’

Justin Rose came to Royal Birkdale looking for a British Open championship, not a celebration of his debut on the course 19 years ago.

He got neither, though he still holds a fond spot for the course where he finished fourth as a 17-year-old amateur in 1998.

“It would be a dream to win here, but this course doesn’t owe me anything, right?” Rose said. “That was 19 years ago. You don’t expect to play well here because of what happened 19 years ago.”

Rose, whose only major title came in the U.S. Open, finished with a final-round 70 and was 4 over for the tournament. He blamed a change he has made in his swing, not the golf course.

“I think all the guys respect this golf course. Everybody thinks it’s one of the best ones we play on the rotation,” he said. “I think it’s fair.”