Justin Rose has put himself right in the mix in the early stages of the Open de France, with the Englishman posting a four under par round of 67 around Le Golf National on Thursday.
Justin Rose is returning to a course which holds special memories for him. The 44-year-old was part of the 2018 Ryder Cup team which stormed to an emphatic victory under Thomas Bjorn. Rose won two points from four matches that week, with both points coming alongside Henrik Stenson in the foursomes.
But the Olympic Games earlier this year reminded everyone that Le Golf National can be an extremely tough test for any player. The rough can be particularly lethal, with Europe certainly using their accuracy to their advantage six years ago.
Rose however, did not drop a single shot on Thursday as he began his Open de France tournament with a four under par round of 67. He made two birdies in the first four holes on both nines to put himself in early contention as he looks for his first win on the DP World Tour since 2018.
Justin Rose shares how Le Golf National held up after this week’s heavy rain
What made the score all the more impressive was the bad weather which came on Wednesday. Given how Le Golf National can get if the rough becomes particularly lush, it is no surprise that a host of players finished well over par for their first rounds.
But speaking after his opening round, Rose suggested that he found that the course held up well, particularly as he seemed to be in good form off the tee.
“Well, yeah, sort of surprised to be up on time if I’m honest with you. What a golf course in terms of construction and condition after the deluge of yesterday. I was actually running a bit late this morning because I was banking on a delay which kind of meant that I was a short sharp warmer, which obviously turned out to be a good thing,” he said.
“Got off to a good start today. A couple under early. Kind of made me — actually, I really drove the ball well. Had the ball in hand. Obviously any time on a day like today that you can have the ball-in-hand, clean it, prefer your lie, hit a lot of fairways, that can really, really help. Greens early doors were smooth. I think that’s going to be a challenge as the day goes on because they are so soft. Guys are going to kind of face slightly lumpier greens in the afternoon. So, happy to make the most of the play and keep it bogey-free.
“The only thing I would say, the golf course, five, six, seven, eight, nine starts playing much more difficult; the wind picked up. So, happy to keep a keep a clean card in the end.”
Englishman likely to already have one eye on one particular event in 2025
It is definitely a good opportunity for Rose to secure his first win in quite some time. Of course, thoughts are now turning to Bethpage next year and the 2025 Ryder Cup. The Englishman has only missed two stagings of the event since making his debut back in 2008.
Rose played such an important role for Europe last year in Rome, helping rookie Robert MacIntyre settle into the event. MacIntyre certainly appeared to let the nerves get to him at times, so having someone like Rose alongside him would have helped enormously. And Rose showed how the competition still brings the best out of him with his putt on the last on the opening day to secure a half point.
There are a lot of question marks hanging over the European team heading into next year. Luke Donald is surely going to have to use LIV Golf players this time around following the defections of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. Even Sergio Garcia has been tipped as a captain’s pick for New York.
Rose is another who could bring some incredibly valuable experience to the ranks. He will also be aware that he may not have too many more opportunities to play in the Ryder Cup.
A good result this week could certainly set him on the right path as he looks to go on and book his ticket to Bethpage.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
