I STILL FEEL LIKE THE BEST IS IN ME

Justin Rose reflects on an illustrious career and reveals why he’s still motivated to achieve more

- Kit Alexander

Justin Rose is one of the most successful golfers Britain has ever produced. He’s been a fixture at the top of the game for the last two decades and remains as determined as ever to add to his incredible CV as he embarks on his 24th season as a professional.

Despite missing his first 21 cuts as a pro, he’s gone on to build a career that’s seen him become a Major and Olympic Champion, win 22 times on six different continents, play in five Ryder Cups, top the European Tour’s Order of Merit and the PGA Tour’s FedExCup and spend the majority of the last nine years inside the top ten on the Official World Golf Ranking, including 13 weeks as number one in 2018 and 2019.

For someone so used to such consistently high standards, a 2020 in which he failed to win in a calendar year for the first time since 2009 and slipped outside the top 30 in the world rankings is a shock to the system.

It would be easy to look back on all he’s achieved and for the motivation to wane, but Rose is made of sterner stuff. He’s overcome poor form and adversity before and he’s determined to do so again. At 40 years old, he’s still hungry for more success, without being shackled by the burden of not having won a Major or achieved those career-defining victories. The next few years might just turn a great career into a legendary one.

How do you assess your career to this point?