Jacklin hails Rose’s historic US Open win

Former golf champion elated with compatriot’s achievement.

LONDON: Former champion Tony Jacklin praised Justin Rose’s courage after seeing him become the first English winner of one of golf’s major championships in 17 years with his victory at the US Open.

Rose’s two-shot victory at the Merion course in Pennsylvania was the first in a major since Nick Faldo took the 1996 US Masters title.

Rose announced himself to the golf world as a 17-year-old amateur when he finished in a tie for fourth in the 1998 British Open at Royal Birkdale, in northwest England.

But the now 32-year-old struggled early on in his professional career, infamously missing 21 consecutive cuts before winning his first event in the paid ranks in 2002.

“I was thrilled for him, I know what he’s gone through in his professional life,” Jacklin told BBC radio.

“I was obviously around when he had that audacious chip-in at Birkdale at 17 and witnessed the difficult time he had after turning pro and all the struggles that he had. To fight through that, it takes a lot of courage. What was shown at Merion was exactly that.

“It takes a lot of courage to win a major championship. You have to stay in the moment, which sounds very easy but when the stakes are high it’s very hard.

Rose’s final round par 70 on Sunday saw him to a 72-hole one over par total of 281 and victory by two shots over US star Phil Mickelson and Australia’s Jason Day.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2013.