Justin Rose: Ruthless Briton gets major reward for 'blind faith' with Pebble Beach victory
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Victory for Justin Rose, 42, secured him a place in this year's Masters
Ambition remains undimmed for Britain's Justin Rose, who - following a sensational win at Pebble Beach - can look forward to continuing his major career as well as eye a potential return to Europe's Ryder Cup team.
Being the wrong side of 40 and with a history of back problems, the 2016 Olympic champion could easily have been tempted by the offer of millions of dollars to join the breakaway LIV Tour.
But Rose - the US Open winner a decade ago - was not prepared to give up on his quest for more golfing glory at the highest level.
"Access to the major championships is a large part of my decision to be playing where I'm playing," Rose said after his three-shot win in the weather-delayed Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Monday.
"Playing in events like this that have a great history, that give access to an iconic golf course, all of those things. Winning events that really matter."
It was put to Rose that being able to continue playing the big four career-defining events - the Masters, Open, US Open and US PGA - was therefore more significant to him than potentially banking £50-65m from the Saudi Arabia-funded coffers of LIV.
"Not as important as winning a major or two, for sure," Rose said. "But you've got to be in it to win it. I think that's it.
"Giving up on that opportunity is what you've got to look yourself in the mirror and just say: 'Is that something that's worth it for me?'
"I made the decision based upon blind faith. Hope to win. Hope to put myself in the situation. My game hasn't produced many, many of those opportunities of late. But I still have had that belief that it's possible."
Rose pulled out of last year's Open at St Andrews after suffering a back injury while warming up for his first round. Two months later, he was also forced to withdraw from the BMW Championship at Wentworth, where he now lives.
He tumbled outside the top 70 in the world rankings and - without a tour victory since 2019 - began this year ineligible for the Masters in April. His priority was gaining ranking points to climb back into the top 50.
That was why he chose to miss the DP World Tour's Middle East swing, including January's Hero Cup contest between Great Britain and Ireland and Continental Europe.
Had he played in that match in Abu Dhabi, he would undoubtedly have put himself to the forefront of captain Luke Donald's thinking for September's Ryder Cup.
"I said it to Luke - Hero Cup and things like that at beginning of the year, I would love to have been involved in it," Rose said.
"But I felt like what was really important to me was getting off to a good start on the PGA Tour so I wasn't under pressure later in the season."
His latest typically ruthless and composed victory - the first by a European in the historic tournament - has done the job. It was Rose's 11th PGA Tour title - the most collected by any Englishman on the American circuit.
Provided he maintains form and fitness, he is just the sort of figure Donald will need in what is likely to be an inexperienced European team that seeks to win back the trophy from the United States this September.
With hindsight, how the continent could have done with him at Whistling Straits in 2021 when he was overlooked by skipper Padraig Harrington. Rose was bitterly disappointed to miss out on what became a record 19-9 humiliation.
"I haven't even entertained what the Ryder Cup looks like for me," Rose said. "Other than I want to be there."
The building blocks are in place. He will be at Augusta for the Masters and Oak Hill for the US PGA in May and, who knows, maybe he has established a launchpad to be on European duty in Italy in September?
In three events so far this year, he has finished 26th, 18th and now first.
"The plan's gone pretty perfectly," Rose smiled.
"Three really good solid weeks out here and I built a platform now to be able to look at the rest of the year in a much more positive light."
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