The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rose extends win streak, eyes more
Englishman makes it eight consecutive years with a victory.
SHANGHAI — Justin Rose was down to his last couple of events when he rallied from eight shots behind at the HSBC Champions to keep alive an important streak. This is his eighth consecutive year with at least one victory.
His streak on the PGA Tour ended last year, though Rose counts the gold medal he won in the Olympics.
“I’ve prided myself on winning every year since 2010,” Rose said. “It’s becoming harder and harder to win out here, as I’ve found out. It’s not really a complete year unless you’ve hoisted a trophy. So I’m happy to have that box ticked in 2017.”
Rose had three runner-up finishes this year, including a playoff loss to Sergio Garcia in the Masters. The others were the Sony Open and BMW Championship, though he was not in serious contention in either.
“Winning is a habit, and I felt like I was getting out of the habit,” he said. “The Masters, I felt like I could have won. I felt like I didn’t do anything wrong, so I didn’t judge myself too harshly. But then you ask yourself, ‘What’s the reason I’m not winning?’ To have that a little less prominent in my mind is important.”
Rose still has the Turkish Airlines Open and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai before heading home to the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge.
His next goal is multiple victories in a season. He has won twice in 2010, 2014 and 2015 while playing the PGA Tour and European Tour. He has taken note of Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama each winning at least three times dating to 2015.
“That’s what you have to do to be relevant on the tour,” Rose said.
The 500 club: With little fanfare, Augusta’s Charles Howell III made his 500th PGA Tour start last week in the HSBC Champions.
He was surprised by the milestone, and where it took place. Howell left for what he thought was a two-week swing through Asia when enough players chose not to go to Shanghai that Howell got in as an alternate. The problem was he didn’t have a visa, so Howell and Chez Reavie spent nearly two days in Hong Kong waiting for it to come through. He got the visa and tied for 15th.
“So this is my 500th golf tournament on the PGA Tour,” Howell said. “And it’s the first time I’ve ever played in China.”
Howell said he was shocked when he realized he had played 500 tournaments, including two times he played as an amateur. He removed his cap to show flecks of gray in his hair and laughed.
“I can’t believe I’ve played that many PGA Tour events,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d make it that long.”
Kuchar’s loss: Matt Kuchar is tough to beat in table tennis, at least at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.
In China? That’s different. “No, it doesn’t bother me,” Kuchar said after losing to Dou Zecheng. “It’s their national sport. I have to get back and raise my game.”
Most amusing about this 11-point match was not that Kuchar lost, but that he didn’t know the 20-yearold he played. He figured he lost to a Chinese teenager until told that Dou — known as Marty Dou in America — is a fellow PGA Tour member.
“Somebody told me who he was,” Kuchar said with a smile.