Justin Rose says he has already turned the page to 2023 after labelling 2022 as “a year to forget” with injuries hampering his performances throughout.
Former world number one Rose is sitting down in 75th in the World Rankings after recording just two top 10s from 21 starts last season, and with a Ryder Cup coming up next autumn he’s desperate to turn things around in 2023.
The 42-year-old is counting the start of the wraparound PGA Tour season as a fresh start after last year’s struggles, and he started well enough with a three-under round of 67 in the first round of the Cadence Bank Houston Open.
Rose has struggled with injury of the last couple of years, with a back problem forcing him to withdraw from the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews in July.
Now, Rose is keen to say goodbye to 2022 and look ahead to a new year and a new start with the Ryder Cup at the end of it.
In his first Cadence Bank Houston Open start since 2018, Justin Rose opens with a 3-under 67. Seeks an 11th PGA TOUR title and first since the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open. pic.twitter.com/xcBWi3morPNovember 10, 2022
“I think I'm trying to look at this as 2023 already, do you know what I mean?” Rose said after his first round in Houston.
“So obviously the end of 2022, it's been a year to forget really for the most part, but I've had six or seven weeks back at home just trying to get 100 percent feeling good with my body. So that's been the positive of the last couple weeks is I'm feeling good.
“I'm able to go out there, do my job, practice a little bit, sink my teeth into it, which is great. But getting to sort of with that trend.
“So hopefully - last week missed the cut, but there was some signs and then obviously a stronger start this week. So hopefully I can kind of grow into these last three events of the season and then really build again into 2023 as a calendar year.”
One man who will be keeping a keen eye on Rose's form is European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who will need the Englishman as one of his leaders in Italy.
With the likes of Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter joining LIV Golf and highly unlikely to be considered, Rose will be one of the remaining veterans to mix in with some exciting youngsters for Europe.
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