Shanghai triumph keeps Rose win streak alive
Justin Rose was down to his last couple of events when he rallied from eight shots behind at the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai 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 in Honolulu and BMW Championship, though he was not in serious contention in either. He finished seven behind Justin Thomas in Hawaii and five behind Marc Leishman in Chicago.
“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.”
His next goal is multiple victories in a season. HAPPY TRAILS TO TORREY >>
Pat Perez has played Torrey Pines, the course where he grew up on in San Diego, every year since his rookie season. He has contended twice in the last four years. Adding to the occasion is that his father, Tony, is the starter on the first tee.
But if he wants to announce his son teeing off, Tony Perez will have to be in Dubai.
With two victories in the past year and at No. 18 in the world, Perez is ready to travel. His plan is to play in the Singapore Open the third week of January, and the following week — opposite the Farmers Insurance Open — he’ll be at the Dubai Desert Classic.
“I can’t believe somebody wants me,” he said. 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-year-old 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. CANTLAY’S PROGRESS >> Being gone from golf for nearly four years because of a severe back injury makes it hard for Patrick Cantlay to compare anything with the past, and that goes for his physical condition. Out of golf since 2013, he had a remarkable return. He didn’t miss a cut and made it to the Tour Championship while playing only 12 events.
He flew to Shanghai for the HSBC Champions with no issues. He also decided to play this week in Las Vegas.
“I can play any tournament I want. I feel good,” Cantlay said.