Justin Rose has declared his enduring ambition to complete a career Grand Slam, following a spectacular record-breaking victory at the Farmers Insurance Open that propelled him back to world No.3 at the age of 45.
Historic Victory at Torrey Pines
The Ryder Cup star produced a masterclass at Torrey Pines, opening with a stunning 62 and becoming the first wire-to-wire winner at the iconic venue in 71 years. His final score of 23-under 265 eclipsed the previous tournament record of 22-under, jointly held by Tiger Woods from 1999 and George Burns from 1987.
"Sorry, T-dub, if you're watching," Rose remarked to US television after his commanding seven-shot triumph. "I was keenly aware of it, actually. It was the only thing I was focused on the last three holes."
Remarkable Career Resurgence
This victory marks a remarkable resurgence for the former world No.1, who found himself ranked 55th as recently as January last year. Since then, he has demonstrated exceptional form, including shooting a closing 66 before losing a playoff at the Masters and delivering superb performances during Europe's Ryder Cup triumph.
Reflecting on his current game, Rose described his tee-to-green play and "mental maturity" as the best of his career. "Those days or those weeks or those rounds are definitely showing me that the gas is still in the tank," he stated. "Obviously, accessing it is the job now. How do I do that more often? That's always the trick, but at least knowing it's there, it builds a lot of confidence."
Grand Slam Ambitions Remain Strong
Despite his impressive career achievements - including the 2013 US Open, Olympic gold, and seven Ryder Cup appearances - Rose maintains that major championships remain his primary focus. "Majors is where I have my attention, for sure," he affirmed. "I've achieved a lot in the game, but I've achieved a lot of it just once. So I'll take multiple of anything that I've achieved for sure would be great."
The English golfer acknowledged that winning all four majors represents "the ultimate goal since I've been a kid," while realistically noting that "it seems a long way off to think that way." However, he added optimistically: "If you think about some of the results I've had in the last year or 18 months, I'm not that far away so may as well keep believing."
Tour Loyalty and Future Prospects
Rose's 13 tour titles have all come at prestigious venues that have hosted majors or Ryder Cups, including Muirfield Village, Aronimink, Merion, Congressional, Pebble Beach, Colonial, and now twice at Torrey Pines. His current world ranking achievement is particularly notable, with only Vijay Singh in 2008 having reached world No.3 at an older age.
The veteran golfer also addressed speculation about potentially becoming the next European Ryder Cup captain if Luke Donald declines to continue in 2027, suggesting his competitive fire still burns brightly. "I still believe there's good stuff in front of me," he asserted.
Regarding his decision to remain on the PGA Tour despite early offers from LIV Golf, Rose explained: "I feel like my career goals have always only been attainable by staying on the European Tour and the PGA TOUR. I want to play the best players in the world. That is what keeps me motivated, what keeps me hungry, what keeps me pushing."
Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka made his return to the PGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open, finishing tied 56th as the new season of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league prepares to commence.
