Rose makes 2019 debut with No. 1 ranking

The timing couldn’t be better for Justin Rose, or for the Desert Classic.

Rose played so much golf toward the end of last year that he wasn’t quite ready to fly from his home in the Bahamas to Hawaii to start 2019 against a winners-only field at Kapalua. Instead, he decided to start at the Desert Classic, an event he has not played since 2010.

Because of the tight race at the top of the ranking, Rose returned to No. 1 in the world two weeks ago. That gives the Desert Classic the No. 1 player in its field for the first time since the ranking began in 1986.

“My original plan was to play in Maui and keep the momentum going, and then maybe take a bit of a break in February,” Rose said. “But it just came around too quick. ... I also felt like it was important for me to play before getting to San Diego. So this fitted in perfectly.”

It’s a fresh start indeed for Rose, who won last year at Colonial and captured the FedEx Cup at the end of the season.

He has signed a new equipment deal with Japan-based Honma, which could include a new putter. He also will be starting the year with a new caddie, at least temporarily, because longtime looper Mark “Fooch” Fulcher is to undergo a heart procedure Thursday.

Rose will be using Gareth Lord, a prominent European Tour caddie who most recently worked for Henrik Stenson. That’s a natural fit as Rose and Stenson are close, having playing Ryder Cup matches together and even the team event last year in New Orleans.