BERNARD GALLACHER’S GOLF
Ihad a feeling Justin Rose was going places when I first met him as a teenager. He completed that journey last Monday by becoming the new World No. 1.
Justin played in the Junior Open at Wentworth every year, that’s where I met him and his father, Ken.
What struck me was how polite and respectful this young lad was, as well as being a super prospect.
That has never changed, so it’s why his rise to the top has been greeted with universal acclaim by his fellow pros.
Justin will be sorry he didn’t become World No.1 by winning the BMW Championship last week in Philadelphia, but you can’t knock his achievement. He has been the most consistent player in golf for the last two years, so he deserves this accolade.
To think, here is someone who began his professional career with 21 successive missed cuts, yet look where he is 20 years later.
I have seen youngsters with great potential who have drifted away from the game if they have not made it straight away.
But Justin stuck to his guns and did not let golf beat him. That is a tremendous lesson for any aspiring young pro today.
It was also a tremendous boost for Thomas Bjorn and the European Ryder Cup team to see their team-mate become World No.1.
When I was captain, it was a massive lift to have Ian Woosnam in 1991 and Sir Nick Faldo in 1993 holding that position.
It makes everyone else feel a bit more confident to know the World No.1 is on their side.
However, Justin will have to play well in the Tour Championship to stay there, because Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka are breathing down his neck.
His aim will be to win that event this week in Atlanta, then win the Fedex Cup and arrive in Paris as top dog.
At Oak Hill in 1995, Nick had slipped to No.4, but he was still a hugely important figure for our side.
It all came down to that crunch match on the Sunday between him and Curtis Strange.
I liked the draw because I was confident Nick could take down a player who had won the US Open on that course.
You couldn’t have wanted a better man playing for the Ryder Cup than Nick Faldo. He came from one down with two to play to win those last two holes as we regained the Cup.
If it comes to the crunch at Le Golf National, Thomas could not ask for a better player in that situation than Justin.
He’s the same age as Nick was at Oak Hill, and is respected by all the players on show.
My only slight concern is over Justin’s back. He has had to miss tournaments because of it, most recently the WGC event at Firestone last month.
I’m sure he will be fine for Paris and Bjorn will have earmarked him to play all five matches.
Justin will want to accept the responsibility of being one of Europe’s leaders and we need him to have a strong week if we want to beat the Americans.