Golf-No time to rest on laurels for U.S. Open champion Rose

Golf-No time to rest on laurels for U.S. Open champion Rose

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July 31, 2013


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio, July 31 (Reuters) - Winning his first major title at the U.S. Open in June has unquestionably been the golfing highlight of Justin Rose's career, but the Englishman said it also taught him the lesson of never resting on his laurels.

Rose tied for 13th at the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship and then missed the cut at the British Open12 days ago in his next two starts, proof that every week on the circuit comes with the slate wiped clean.

"Coming into this week as a major winner, the way I view it is that it really shouldn't make any difference," he told reporters on Wednesday while preparing for Thursday's opening round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

"The golf course doesn't know that. Each and every week you've got to build a whole new body of work. If you keep coming back to the past and resting on your laurels and being U.S. Open champ, that doesn't work.

"After the U.S. Open I found that time constraint wise, I'd miss the odd session in the gym and the odd practice session just because there was a lot going on, and your game soon lets you know about that."

Rose felt he had gone into the British Open at Muirfield a little under-prepared, and ultimately paid the price as he missed the cut for only the second time in 11 starts on the 2013 PGA Tour.


"I was doing my best to get 100 percent ready that week, I think I came in a little bit under-prepared with my body, under-prepared with my game," said the world number four.

"And on that kind of golf course, there's a lot of variability out there, just the whole setup, how fast it was playing. You either kind of got into it or you didn't. I found I just didn't adjust to it well enough or fast enough."

Asked whether he had suffered because of his increased number of media commitments since winning the U.S. Open, Rose replied: "Time management has always been something I've had to work on and fight and struggle with, so it's no different.

"But it's just a good reminder of what makes me tick. I think it's perfectly manageable. I don't think life has been crazy since winning the U.S. Open. It's all pretty much manageable, just good for me to relearn those lessons.

"The last couple of weeks I've had the chance to get back to normal, get back to doing all the good things that work for me and hopefully beginning to feel really good about my game once again."

A five-times winner on the PGA Tour, Rose has been paired with British Open champion Phil Mickelson for the first two rounds at Firestone Country Club, a heavily tree-lined layout where he tied for fifth last year.

"This is a venue that I really enjoy being at," the 33-year-old said. "It's a golf course that really lets you know where you are with your game, very straightforward in the sense that you need to play good golf.

"You need to drive the ball well, and it offers you the opportunity that if you do do that, you can play well. But certainly if you're off your game, it lets you know as well." (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)

No time to rest on laurels for U.S. Open champion Rose

No time to rest on laurels for U.S. Open champion Rose

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Mark Lamport-Stokes July 31, 2013

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Justin Rose of England watches his tee shot on the second hole during the first round of the British …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - Winning his first major title at theU.S. Open in June has unquestionably been the golfing highlight of Justin Rose's career, but the Englishman said it also taught him the lesson of never resting on his laurels.

Rose tied for 13th at the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship and then missed the cut at the British Open12 days ago in his next two starts, proof that every week on the circuit comes with the slate wiped clean.

"Coming into this week as a major winner, the way I view it is that it really shouldn't make any difference," he told reporters on Wednesday while preparing for Thursday's opening round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

"The golf course doesn't know that. Each and every week you've got to build a whole new body of work. If you keep coming back to the past and resting on your laurels and being U.S. Open champ, that doesn't work.

"After the U.S. Open I found that time constraint wise, I'd miss the odd session in the gym and the odd practice session just because there was a lot going on, and your game soon lets you know about that."

Rose felt he had gone into the British Open at Muirfield a little under-prepared, and ultimately paid the price as he missed the cut for only the second time in 11 starts on the 2013 PGA Tour.

"I was doing my best to get 100 percent ready that week, I think I came in a little bit under-prepared with my body, under-prepared with my game," said the world number four.


"And on that kind of golf course, there's a lot of variability out there, just the whole setup, how fast it was playing. You either kind of got into it or you didn't. I found I just didn't adjust to it well enough or fast enough."

Asked whether he had suffered because of his increased number of media commitments since winning the U.S. Open, Rose replied: "Time management has always been something I've had to work on and fight and struggle with, so it's no different.

"But it's just a good reminder of what makes me tick. I think it's perfectly manageable. I don't think life has been crazy since winning the U.S. Open. It's all pretty much manageable, just good for me to relearn those lessons.

"The last couple of weeks I've had the chance to get back to normal, get back to doing all the good things that work for me and hopefully beginning to feel really good about my game once again."

A five-times winner on the PGA Tour, Rose has been paired with British Open champion Phil Mickelson for the first two rounds at Firestone Country Club, a heavily tree-lined layout where he tied for fifth last year.

"This is a venue that I really enjoy being at," the 33-year-old said. "It's a golf course that really lets you know where you are with your game, very straightforward in the sense that you need to play good golf.

"You need to drive the ball well, and it offers you the opportunity that if you do do that, you can play well. But certainly if you're off your game, it lets you know as well."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)

Golf-Firestone a perfect venue for Tiger to regain winning ways

Golf-Firestone a perfect venue for Tiger to regain winning ways

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July 31, 2013


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio, July 31 (Reuters) - If Tiger Woods could single out a venue most likely to inspire his game, he could do no better than Firestone Country Club which is hosting this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Woods has piled up a record seven titles on the heavily tree-lined layout and is aiming to replicate that form over the next four days as he also aims to build momentum for next week's PGA Championship, the final major of the year.

"I've had times where I haven't played well at all coming into this event and for some reason it turns it around," the world number one told reporters on Wednesday on a damp, overcast afternoon at Firestone.

"And sometimes I've played great and it's continued. This is one of those courses where, over the years, I just have felt very comfortable."

A 14-times major champion, Woods has recorded a staggering 11 top-10 finishes in 13 appearances at the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event, including 10 in a row.

"I've done it all different ways, that's the thing," said the 37-year-old American. "Some years I've striped it and have really played well, and other years I've hit it all over the lot and had to be creative.

"I've chipped and putted and holed out. It's been such a mixed bag, and I think that's what happens when you win that many times. You can't always do it the same way."

Though Woods has triumphed a season-high four times on the 2013 PGA Tour, he arrived at Firestone frustrated after a wasted opportunity to win the British Open 12 days ago.

He ended up in a tie for sixth at Muirfield in Scotland where his bid for a first major in five years unravelled in the final round as he closed with a three-over-par 74.

"I had it, I had a chance to win and didn't quite get it done on Sunday," Woods said. "There were so many positives to the week, how well I hit it and how well I played.


"The only difference is I just didn't get the feel of those greens the last few days, and I didn't make the adjustments.

"That's my fault for not making the adjustments. You've got to make the adjustments and I didn't do it, and consequently I didn't win the tournament."

VACATION TIME

Since that disappointing Muirfield finish, Woods enjoyed some vacation time in the Bahamas with his two children before playing a practice round on Tuesday at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, venue for next week's PGA Championship.

"I was with the kids, and we were just having a great time," he said. "I got away from the game and just had a whole bunch of fun with them.

"Physically I'm good. I don't have as much energy as (his children) Sam and Charlie, but I feel pretty good."

Asked how well Firestone would serve as preparation for next week at Oak Hill, Woods replied: "It is very similar, straightforward, right in front of you.

"This golf course, I don't think, is as hard or as difficult as Oak Hill, especially with the green complexes. The green complexes are a little bit more severe at Oak Hill.

"But overall it's old-school golf. It's just right in front of you, no hidden tricks out there. You've just got to go out there and really hit the ball well."

Woods will play the first two rounds at Firestone in the company of exciting 21-year-old Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, who also tied for sixth at the British Open and has already triumphed three times on his home tour.

"It's going to be fun," said Woods. "I've never played with him. I've seen him out here hitting balls, and I just did a little interview with Rory (McIlroy) who played with him the first two days at the Open Championship.

"He (McIlroy) says he (Matsuyama) hits it great, hits it long and he's in that next generation of young kids coming up. He's 21. Rory is an old guy now," smiled Woods, referring to the 24-year-old Northern Irishman. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)

Firestone a perfect venue for Tiger to regain winning ways

Firestone a perfect venue for Tiger to regain winning ways

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Mark Lamport-Stokes July 31, 2013

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Tiger Woods of the U.S. hits out of the rough on the tenth hole during the final round of the British …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

AKRON, Ohio (Reuters) - If Tiger Woods could single out a venue most likely to inspire his game, he could do no better than Firestone Country Club which is hosting this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Woods has piled up a record seven titles on the heavily tree-lined layout and is aiming to replicate that form over the next four days as he also aims to build momentum for next week's PGA Championship, the final major of the year.

"I've had times where I haven't played well at all coming into this event and for some reason it turns it around," the world number one told reporters on Wednesday on a damp, overcast afternoon at Firestone.

"And sometimes I've played great and it's continued. This is one of those courses where, over the years, I just have felt very comfortable."

A 14-times major champion, Woods has recorded a staggering 11 top-10 finishes in 13 appearances at the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event, including 10 in a row.

"I've done it all different ways, that's the thing," said the 37-year-old American. "Some years I've striped it and have really played well, and other years I've hit it all over the lot and had to be creative.

"I've chipped and putted and holed out. It's been such a mixed bag, and I think that's what happens when you win that many times. You can't always do it the same way."

Though Woods has triumphed a season-high four times on the 2013 PGA Tour, he arrived at Firestone frustrated after a wasted opportunity to win the British Open 12 days ago.

He ended up in a tie for sixth at Muirfield in Scotland where his bid for a first major in five years unraveled in the final round as he closed with a three-over-par 74.

"I had it, I had a chance to win and didn't quite get it done on Sunday," Woods said. "There were so many positives to the week, how well I hit it and how well I played.

"The only difference is I just didn't get the feel of those greens the last few days, and I didn't make the adjustments.


"That's my fault for not making the adjustments. You've got to make the adjustments and I didn't do it, and consequently I didn't win the tournament."

VACATION TIME

Since that disappointing Muirfield finish, Woods enjoyed some vacation time in the Bahamas with his two children before playing a practice round on Tuesday at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, venue for next week's PGA Championship.

"I was with the kids, and we were just having a great time," he said. "I got away from the game and just had a whole bunch of fun with them.

"Physically I'm good. I don't have as much energy as (his children) Sam and Charlie, but I feel pretty good."

Asked how well Firestone would serve as preparation for next week at Oak Hill, Woods replied: "It is very similar, straightforward, right in front of you.

"This golf course, I don't think, is as hard or as difficult as Oak Hill, especially with the green complexes. The green complexes are a little bit more severe at Oak Hill.

"But overall it's old-school golf. It's just right in front of you, no hidden tricks out there. You've just got to go out there and really hit the ball well."

Woods will play the first two rounds at Firestone in the company of exciting 21-year-old Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, who also tied for sixth at the British Open and has already triumphed three times on his home tour.

"It's going to be fun," said Woods. "I've never played with him. I've seen him out here hitting balls, and I just did a little interview with Rory (McIlroy) who played with him the first two days at the Open Championship.

"He (McIlroy) says he (Matsuyama) hits it great, hits it long and he's in that next generation of young kids coming up. He's 21. Rory is an old guy now," smiled Woods, referring to the 24-year-old Northern Irishman.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Julian Linden)