Justin Rose doesn't want any Ryder Cup favours: 'I have to make sure my game is in a good place'
Justin Rose
The Englishman admits he'd dearly love to qualify but knows he has to get there on merit alone.
England's Justin Rose has learned the hard way what it is like not to be selected for the Ryder Cup but he insists he will not desperately chase qualification this year if he does not feel he can be a valued member of the team.
The 42-year-old was not a member of Padraig Harrington's side which lost to the United States at Whistling Straights two years ago after a dip in form saw him fall well short of making the team.
He is in a better situation this time around, sitting just four places outside a qualifying spot via the world points list, and is keen to ensure he is playing well enough to be able to make a significant contribution in Rome later this year.
A good result at the Open, which an Englishman has not won since Nick Faldo's 1992 triumph at Muirfield, would considerably boost his chances and his confidence level.
"I've taken the approach I'm not chasing anything this year, I'm just focusing on my game," he told the PA news agency.
"Things will be what they will be. If I play Ryder Cup it is not about qualifying for the team for me, it is about being ready to win points for the team.
"Obviously, yes, I've learned the hard way in the sense that I haven't been picked for a Ryder Cup so I want to make sure I do qualify.
"I've got confidence if my game is in a good place I'll be a valuable member of the team. I have to make sure my game is in a good place.
"We are running out of weeks and these are big weeks for it, of course. But the ultimate championship here is the Open Championship."
Rose's win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February was his first PGA Tour victory since 2019, at which time he was world number one but after slipping as low as 84th in January this year, he is heading back in the right direction with a rise up to 32 heading into this week at Royal Liverpool.
He has five top-10 finishes in his last 13 starts and the 2016 Olympic gold medallist views two missed cuts at June's US Open and last week's Scottish Open as the reminder he needed.
"There is always a little blip in a season, there are always different moving dynamics," he added.
"Last week I had a lot of the the family up; we really enjoyed the week but it is part of the periodisation of the whole thing coming into the Open this week.
"(I can) just be here with my team and it has taken on a lot more focused fashion.
"Generally this season has been a lot better, my consistency has been a lot better and for the most part I've been working on a pretty consistent theme on my game.
"It comes down to lots of different factors and sometimes you need that little blip at the right time; sometimes before a big tournament it can be a big thing.
"If I had finished 12th last week I might have come in here just cruising but off the back of last week it is like a little wake-up call to make sure all the processes are going well.
"You are more focused in your preparation. Sometimes it's not a bad thing."
Rose, whose Open debut was as an amateur at Royal Birkdale just up the road in Southport where he chipped in at the final hole to finish fourth, is well aware questions will continue to be asked about why an Englishman has not won the Open for so long.
"I hope to have the opportunity to knock off that curse," he said.
"Learning a major championship venue is a skill. Links golf is a little bit different. But at the same time you do get inspired by the place."
