Golf-Patient Rose still seeking to surpass teenage heroics

SANDWICH, England, July 13 (Reuters) - When he burst onto the worldwide golf scene with a tie for fourth as a teenage amateur in the 1998 British Open Justin Rose would not have expected that 13 years later it would to remain his best finish in a major.

Yet, despite claiming six Tour titles, topping the European Order of Merit, amassing almost $15 million in prizemoney and chalking up top-ten finishes in the U.S. Open, the Masters and the U.S. PGA, the Englishman has never managed to nail one of the career-defining tournaments.

Rose turned professional the day after his heroics as an 18-year-old at Birkdale but has failed to make the Open top 10 since. His next-best finish was a tie for 12th at Carnoustie in 2007 while last time the Open was in Sandwich in 2003 he missed the cut.

However, he has been in good form over the last 18 months and after an enjoyable practice round at a blustery St George’s on Wednesday he told Reuters he felt he was in with his best chance for a while.

“I suppose I’m coming in not as one of the favourites but I feel like I’m a real contender this week,” he said.

“It’s a very open Open and there are a lot of guys like myself who have the game to do it and could do it but just need to put it together for four days.

“We’ve had 11 different major winners in a row and you could add the 12th on Sunday and I hope it’s me.”

Rose said it was difficult to identify which type of golfer the course and conditions would suit after a day when the wind blew in a virtually opposite direction to Tuesday, following a benign Monday.

“I think that’s the wind we’re going to have tomorrow so it was a valuable practice round today but really you never know what you’re going to get,” he said.

“This course really changes a lot in the wind. I know all links courses do but this one in particular because the bounces are so extreme so you’ve really got to think about your lines.

“You have to play with the different winds - it’s definitely tricky but it’s a fun course.

“It could suit a guy with a great short game because you’re not going to hit many greens out there but also it can suit the better ball-striker because you are going to need to hit great shots to hit the greens so who knows.

“Whoever steps up will have to be on top of their game.”

Rose famously missed 21 consecutive cuts after turning professional but kept plugging away until his talent blossomed and eventually earned him his first title in 2002.

Now 30, he is something of a veteran of the Tour and said he thought the experience he has picked up would serve him well.

“You are going to have to be incredibly patient - I think that’s the major test this week,” he said.

“It’s fun but you are going to face a lot of adversity and the guy who can deal with that and stay patient will have a great chance.”