PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Justin Rose has been dreaming of winning the British Open since the age of 8. He’s approaching 45 now and has yet to lift the claret jug.
He knows the clock is ticking.
“Obviously later in your career you’re never quite sure how many chances are going to be left,” Rose said at Royal Portrush on Wednesday, a day before he begins his 22nd attempt to win his home major. “And when you do come close, clearly it’s like, ahh.”
And, boy, has this English Rose come close to adding a late-career major to his résumé.
He challenged for the Open Championship at Royal Troon last year, finishing second to Xander Schauffele.
He was then one putt away from winning the Masters in April, losing out to Rory McIlroy in a playoff in a major finish for the ages.
Rose has a major title in his collection — the U.S. Open in 2013 — as well as an Olympic gold medal and four Ryder Cup victories. He has been No. 1 in the world, too.
But he wants more, even at his age.
“What I’m chasing at this point in my career are the big moments in the sport, whether that’s Ryder Cups, major championships. Those are the memories I’m trying to make,” Rose said.
“I feel like I’ve been lucky enough to achieve a lot in the game, and I’d like to have achieved more of the same things, more majors, more wins, more everything.”
Finally winning the Open Championship would surely be the sweetest of all moments for Rose, who first made a name for himself as a 17-year-old amateur at Royal Birkdale in 1998 when, wearing a baggy red sweater, he holed out for eagle to secure a tie for fourth place.
“As a British player, it’s been the one that I’ve dreamed about winning and holed the putt many times in my mind,” Rose said.
Rose isn’t slowing down in his pursuit, remaining supremely fit in an attempt to keep in touch with the younger players on the circuit.
In the United States, he travels to tournaments with a custom-made RV that’s essentially a traveling gym — containing things like a cold plunge and a sauna — which he calls a “recovery room” and he posts videos on Instagram of him working out.
It is keeping him competitive — he’s the world No. 21 — and a definite contender this week as he bids to become the second oldest winner of the Open, behind Old Tom Morris, who was the champion at age 46 in 1867.
“I would say overall week in and week out, it’s going to be hard to get a ton better and transform my game to suddenly add new dimensions to it where I can kind of become incredibly dominant over the top young players,” Rose said.
“But I think in certain situations and in certain environments, I can still kind of bring my best.”
He showed that at Augusta National, where he had a front-row seat as McIlroy achieved the career Grand Slam.
Rose said it stung but that he wasn’t “completely devastated” because of how well he played.
“I think I’m over it,” he said, “I don’t know. Who knows?”
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
