Justin comes out swinging in Olympic bid
ROSE’S LOFTY AMBITION
JUSTIN ROSE is worried about his chances of defending his Olympic title after making “mistakes” in his career since becoming world No1.
The 2016 gold medallist has fallen to 38th in the world since agreeing and then cancelling a new equipment deal and twice switching caddie in a winless past year. Rose, 40, is the UK’s sixth-ranked player, even with Rory McIlroy opting to play for Ireland. A maximum of four players from each country can compete in the 60-strong field as long as they are in the world’s top 15 – otherwise the limit is two – with no wild cards. The Tokyo Olympics remain in doubt because of the pandemic. But Rose, left, who tees up at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic tomorrow, said: “I have concerns on both fronts. It’s not a concern if you’re not in the team. “For the sake of golf, even if I’m not there I’d love it to go ahead. I’ve got bigger problems than that.
“Just because you did well last time, there’s no defending champion who gets his way in. You have to earn your way back. “I’ve got to focus on my own position, clearly the English lads are playing well. There’s going to be quite a few guys to get past, but my goal is to be in the top 15 in the world. That should be a pretty strong position to make the team.”
The 2013 US Open champion ended his deal with Japanese club manufacturer Honma last season, having signed it at the start of 2019, when he topped the rankings. His long-term caddie Mark Fulcher had to step down for health reasons and, after Gareth Lord, he now has Dave Clark on his bag. Rose is also moving back to the UK from the Bahamas. The Ryder Cup star, who missed his first 21 cuts after turning pro as a teenager, said: “I’ve made mistakes in the past couple of years and they are only really mistakes in hindsight, trying to make a few good decisions. “The way the whole side of things worked after getting to the top of the world rankings – some things didn’t fall into place after that. You make the best decision you can at the time thinking it’s the right decision. But hindsight is a wonderful thing. “I’ve pivoted as quickly as I can in those scenarios. Sometimes there’s water that’s gone under the bridge and you need to work your way back a little bit. It’s what my career has been about, I’ve had my ups and downs. “When I’m on the slide it makes me want to come out swinging again and with my back against the wall a little bit.
“I kind of like it that way. It keeps me motivated and it keeps me hungry.”