Justin Rose, firmly established as one of the game’s leading professionals, has no desire to turn back the clock when he competes in this week’s British Open at Royal Birkdale.
Ten years ago, Rose stunned the golf world with a grandstand finish at Birkdale, chipping in on the final hole to tie for fourth place and win the silver medal as the leading amateur.
Although he will forever treasure the stirring memories of being cheered loudly by the fans as he ended his amateur career in spectacular style, he is eager to play down the nostalgia and hype this week.
“To be honest, I think I have passed it,” world number nine Rose told reporters on Monday after completing a practice round at Birkdale.
“I feel good will from everybody who knows the situation from 10 years ago but, at the same time, a lot has changed since then.
“Today was pretty much just a normal practice round. The 18th hole is special and it does bring back memories but it’s time to get my game face on and do what I’ve got to do this week.”
Rose, who clinched the European Tour order of merit for the first time last year by winning the season-ending Volvo Masters, accepts he will face great pressure this week.
“It’s going to be a different week for me, there’s no doubt about it, but I have always played well when it’s really mattered,” the 27-year-old Englishman said.
“I’m going into it feeling like my game is there or thereabouts. Hopefully with a bit of a spark or something, I’ll be off and running.
“Pressure is very much self-inflicted. There is more pressure when you feel you have a genuine chance whereas as an amateur you’ve got nothing to lose and you don’t expect anything of yourself.
“I feel a lot of pressure in this situation but, with my game now, if I can create that same sort of free-wheeling attitude I had back then (in 1998), that’s the combination I’m looking for.”
Rose, a four-times winner on the European Tour, said he was happy with what he had achieved since turning professional the day after the 1998 British Open.
“I’m top 10 in the world and been European number one,” he added. “I would probably have dreamed of winning a major but I don’t think I put a time line on it when I was a kid.
“I feel like I like am coming into my prime the next 10 years. The first 10 years have given me a great opportunity to hopefully achieve what I want out of the game in the next 10 years.”
The 137th British Open starts on Thursday.
