Rose targets Major win in 2008

SOTOGRANDE, Spain: Justin Rose has his sights firmly set on winning a Major next year following the biggest victory of his career at the Volvo Masters here on Sunday.

That triumph in the European PGA Tour's season-ending finale clinched his first Order of Merit title, and hoisted him to a career-best seventh in the world rankings, the top European golfer.

It was a fitting reward for a year of admirable consistency for the 27-year-old Englishman, who was in contention at all four of the Majors and managed a string of top-10 finishes.

Next year, though, he hopes to do even better.

"I'm going to set my goals even higher," he said.

"I don't think I've got to change anything, which is the exciting thing. I've just got to keep getting a tiny bit better.

"Golf's getting to a stage where it's the tiny improvements that are going to make the biggest differences at this stage, obviously, at moving onwards and upwards.

"My goal at the start of the year was to get inside the top 20 in the world, and I'm into the top 10.

"But certainly before next year starts and in the coming months, I'll reset my goals.

"Ultimately I want my career to include a Major championship, or more than one hopefully."

Next year will also mark the return of the British Open to the Royal Birkdale links near Liverpool where a 17-year-old Rose exploded onto the scene 10 years ago as a callow amateur.

He tied for fourth on that occasion winning the Silver Medel as top amateur and a glittering career was forecast.

He turned professional immediately after that but then struggled to compete and had to endure a long run of missed cuts.

He eventually won his maiden European Tour title in South Africa at the start of 2002 and thereafter decided to play most of his golf in the United States with growing success.

But it has been this year that has marked his breakthrough to the top level, despite playing a reduced schedule to cope with chronic back pains.

"I think this year's been so much more comfortable out on the golf course," he said.

"I'm not out there shaking like a leaf anymore. I'm out there pretty calm, pretty collected. I feel like I'm in control of my body and in control of my emotions, and that's when you can enjoy the occasion.

"You need to be able to enjoy it down the stretch and at least I feel like I'm backing myself."

Asked how far he thought he could go next year, Rose said that anything short of world No 1 Tiger Woods was within his range.

"I think No 2 is a legitimate goal. I think No1 is a fair way off right now. But for the rest of the normal guys, No 2 is a good goal."

AFP

(China Daily 11/07/2007 page23)