Residence: Orlando, Florida
DOB: 30/07/1980 |
Rose was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, but moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 5. He had a strong amateur career after being inspired to take up the game by his father who died after a two year battle with Leukaemia and played in the GB&I Walker Cup team.
Rose burst to prominence at The Open Championship in 1998. As a 17 year old amateur he holed a dramatic shot from the rough for birdie on the 72nd hole to finish tied for 4th place and while as an amateur he couldn’t pocket the prize money he did take home the prestigious silver medal for the lowest amateur score. He turned professional the following week, but initially struggled badly, missing 21 cuts in a row.
Rose's career soon began to take off as he became established on the European Tour. He won his first professional event, the Dunhill Championship in South Africa, in 2002, and followed this up with 3 further victories in that year.
In 2004, he played mainly on the PGA Tour, while also maintaining his membership of the European Tour. However he slipped out of the top 50 in the world rankings and his ranking continued to fall in early 2005. In March he announced that he was quitting the European Tour and concentrating on playing on the PGA Tour. In August of that year he made an U-turn by announcing his intention to return to the European Tour.
He lost in a playoff at the 2007 BMW PGA Championship, but moved back into the top twenty of the World Rankings for the first time, and by October had reached a new career high of 12 and became the top ranked British golfer. Rose won the European Tour Order of Merit title for 2007 in a thrilling climax to the season at the Volvo Masters, which he won in a playoff on. His new world ranking of number 7 made him the top-ranked European golfer.
Justin made a superb Ryder Cup debut in 2008 playing alongside friend Ian Poulter in foursome and four balls and then defeating Phil Mickelson 3 and 2in the singles, a month after finishing tied ninth US PGA Championship. |
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24-27 May - BMW PGA Championship - West Course at Wentworth.The BMW PGA Championship was played out on a rain-lashed West Course at Wentworth in Surrey. Traditionally, the PGA attracts one of the strongest fields on the European Tour and this time was no exception with Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Michael Campbell and others all making the trip across the pond. It was not, however, one of the better known superstars who walked off with the trophy and 725,000 Euro first prize, but Anders Hansen from Denmark who holed a 25 foot birdie putt on the first sudden-death play-off hole against England’s Justin Rose. This was only Hansen’s second victory on Tour – bizarrely the only other win was the same tournament – then called the Volvo PGA – five years earlier in 2002. |
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| | In Justin Rose's bag... | Here are Justin's clubs snapped at the 2007 BMW at Wentworth where he lost to Anders Hanson in the sudden death play-off. (but still picked up nearly 500,000 euros for second place): TaylorMade rac MB Forged irons, Cleveland CG10 n56 degree sand wedge, and Titleist Vokey 47 and 60 degree Tour Satin wedges. According to Justin's own website, the headcovers hide a TaylorMade r7 425 driver and r7 Ti Tp 13 degree fairway wood. He apparently uses a Guerin Rife putter - a manufacturer we hear little of in Europe.
(CLICK ON IMAGES TO SEE FULL SIZE VERSION). | |
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