Justin Rose joins in March (before his Masters 2nd) to talk about the PGA Championship, close call at The Open, Ryder Cup.
All right, Garrett Johnson joined with Justin Rose. And Justin, looking ahead in the schedule, we got Quail Hollow and the PJ Championship. I’m curious, what is it about that tournament? Like how how is it to find its identity? You know, when you look at obviously the old open championship, there’s a lot of things, you know, the Masters has the traditions. US Open’s the toughest test. So, how does it find its mark, if you will? Yeah, I think obviously um the date change in the recent history has been interesting. Obviously, going from the last major of the year to fitting in in May now. So, it doesn’t have that kind of like Glory’s last shot tagline that it used to have. So, um listen, a major is a major, man. Um I think we all get there. We all know what’s on the line. It doesn’t need to have any sort of gimmicks or um taglines to go to associate itself with it. I think it needs to go to world-class venues, which is what it what it does. I think it goes to um Quail Hollow, for example. It’s a golf course we all know well. I think we all associate it as a great championship golf course. Uh Charlotte as a town I think is a lot of fun to be in and to play in. Typically get really good crowds there as well. So I think it’s going to be a fun and awesome event. Um so I look forward to Quail Hollow. Yeah. I mean listen it’s a it’s a championship test. The greens are super sloppy. You got to be on point with your iron play. You got to drive it well there. I don’t know if they’ll have it Bermuda rough. I’m assuming they will that time of year. So um uh I’m I’m excited about being back there. But yeah, PJ Championship. I don’t know. I don’t know what its identity is. I think it identity is it doesn’t have one. Um, and it goes around, it can shop around and and and just go to venues that feel like host great championships. And in some ways then, you know, they always say play to your strengths if you can. So, in some ways, just play to whatever those venues are for that year, if you will, right? Yeah. It doesn’t pitch itself. It’s it doesn’t pigeon hole itself into being something that it shouldn’t be, right? Um, so I think, you know, USJ have got themselves probably in trouble trying to be something um, you know, that that’s hard to achieve sometimes, you know, by chasing even par. The golf course gets a bit stressed out. Sometimes you can lose it. Sometimes the players start to grumble. So, um, yeah, I think from from a PJ Championship point of view, PJ of America point of view, yeah, I think they’re in a good spot and can just kind of go with what they feel is right for that season. And the obviously the courses, there’s different types of tests for for the PJ Championship. But for you, what kind of test does it tend to be? You know what I mean? Like are there certain numbers that you expect there or or what is the overall test of a PJ championship? For me, it’s like a 10 on par type of test. It’s um, you know, you go there, you expect to make some birdies. You can make some birdies. Um, but par’s a good score. You know, I think par I like a golf course where par is treading water. You know, par means something. Like it’s kind of like it’s the par. It’s the standard. It’s the average. It’s you’re not going backwards. You’re not going forwards. Par means something. And if you go out and you shoot a few underpar, you you know, you’re making some inroads into doing really well. So, what does that identify though when it when it makes par of value though? Um, identifies good solid golf. It identifies strategy. it identifies patience, um shot making, um grinding, as well as um yeah, being able to find your birdies as and when. So, I think, um yeah, for me, like that’s where I’ve had success on tour. I’ve won a lot of tournaments where it’s not necessarily brutally difficult, but it’s difficult, you know, and I think that there’s a premium on iron play and uh keeping the ball in play. Some good oldfashioned rules, not the bomb and gouge type of mentality where you’re just launching driver, find it, wedge it on, you I think that, you know, when you’re playing 10 under par type of golf, there’s a bit more to it than that. When Phil won in 2021, I mean, that was kind of out of nowhere, but an older guy gets it done. Like, what did you make of that kind of achievement? For sure. I mean, it’s obviously uh inspirational. Um, you know, the Open Championship, we saw Watson nearly do it at 59, but the Open’s a little bit different. The ball’s running on the ground a lot more. You know, the PJ Championship, you got to be able to flight the ball. You got to be able to hit some cool shots. Got to still have a little bit of power, which Phil did uh when he won. So, it’s good motivation for me to stay fit, young, healthy, strong, do all the right things. Um, but yeah, I had a chance at the PJ Championship last year. You know, I felt like I was in the mix with a few holes to go there. Needed to probably birdie my last four holes to really have a shot, but I was uh ended up finishing fourth or something, but um I was or maybe sixth in the end, but I was right there. I kind of had a bad finish, but last couple holes, but um I felt I felt the heat, you know, it was really awesome. And it was on a golf course. It didn’t necessarily suit me, but Valhalla was one of those venues where you still had to play great golf. And I remember early on in that first and second hole, you missed a couple putts there, but you had so much intensity. I I think what I gather is that you knew what it meant to get off to a good start. You know what I mean? Like what I’m saying is you could see how much you cared about it, right? No, for sure. I mean, major championships are are where it’s at and they’re kind of events that if you play, you know, let’s just go back to like the scoring side of things. if it’s not going to be silly under par, you have that, you know, you you can work your way into the tournament. And I think that you don’t need to be six under par through the first 10 holes to feel like you’re in the tournament. You know, you know, Tiger won so many championships by starting kind of slow in a way and then letting guys fall away around him as well. He, you know, he got stronger as the weeks went on. Um, and a lot of guys who kind of come out the gates quick as well kind of begin to fall away a bit. So, there’s many ways to win a tournament, but um, especially in major championship golf, you got to have that patience. Speaking of major championship, I know you were very close in the open championship there. Obviously, that was something that it was a hell of a run that you made. What do you take away from that? What kind of confidence did it give you? Huge. Actually, I think uh what I learned at the open championship is that I can still do it. You know, I’ve still got that ability to kind of show up when the when it matters most. And that then in turn kind of gives me the motivation to know that the hard work is worth it. I think if you’re seeing no reward and you don’t really know if you can win, the hard work becomes very difficult to to do. But um yeah, so I’m very motivated this year and working hard because I still believe the dream’s out there. And then lastly, there’s so much in the leadership of TGL. I can see that you’re just putting your arms around the guys. You’re really getting fired up for it. We got the Riter Cup coming up. How how much you looking forward to Beth Paige and and is that that atmosphere? Yeah, listen, that’s a big goal of mine. Obviously, um on the outside looking in from a qualification point of view, but as I was in Rome, so I’m just going to try to take care of my game, trying to make sure that my game’s in a good spot. Uh I’d love to contribute for the team there 100%. Um, that’s going to be a rowdy atmosphere. I hope to be there, but it’s one of those be careful what you wish for type of things. It’s going to be intense. It’s going to be amazing. Um, and something like you said, it’s a huge goal for mine of mine this year, and I’d love to have the opportunity to put my arms around the guys again and experience something cool. Justin, always appreciate the time and good luck with those goals coming up. Thanks, buddy. Appreciate it. Good to see you. Cheers, mate. All right, mate.
