Justin Rose happy to stay out of the spotlight ahead of the Masters

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/apr/08/justin-rose-masters-augusta-us-open-victory

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Justin Rose returns to Augusta just a little older, but a lot wiser. That's the difference that winning a major makes. "Knowing you've won a major championship," Rose says, "knowing you've faced those emotions before and you've come through, it's a huge benefit turning up here this week." After his victory at the US Open at Merion last June, Rose feels he is in his prime as a player.

He is exuding confidence about his chances this week, even saying that he feels he has been a little overlooked in the run-up, and is "coming in with no hype, no expectation and a little under the radar". He puts himself in the thick of a group of 15 players who are "pretty strong favourites", and reckons he is one of three Europeans along with Rory McIlroy and Sergio García who have "the best chance" of becoming the first from the continent to win here since José María Olazábal in 1999.

It took Rose six months or so to get over the euphoria of that first major victory. Then he realised how much he wanted to win another. "If you set yourself the career goal of winning a major championship, then once you win that major championship it's then a question of 'what next?' And that can take quite a while to figure out." Having fulfilled that one ambition, Rose started to think what "I wanted out of the game as a kid". Back then, he explains: "I always dreamed about winning majors, plural." Just as he does again now.

This is Rose's ninth Masters and only now does he really feel he has accrued all the experience he feels a player needs to succeed here. "Augusta is different, there is so much knowledge, course knowledge, that you build up through the years, that definitely swings the pendulum in the favour of the experienced player." He has been in contention here twice before but blew up both times.

In 2004 Rose led the field after the first two days, having shot a 67 on the opening day, which is still his lowest round here. Then he slipped up. "I tried to chase this golf course," he remembers. "Over the years you've seen all the eagles and the birdies on the back nine and I was trying to do that on the Saturday. For me, you can't chase this course, you've got to let it unravel."

On the Sunday of 2007 Rose was one shot behind the eventual winner, Zach Johnson, with just two holes left to play. He recalls he felt like he was "living my boyhood dream". Then his drive at the 17th hit a pine tree and ricocheted 70 yards back down the 15th. In the end he finished tied in fifth, still his best finish at Augusta. He has, he says, "learned the hard way".

The win at Merion last June was the final piece of the puzzle. It gave him the belief that he could handle himself in those situations. Now, Rose explains: "You come here looking to increase your tally of major championships, not just searching for your first one, but feeling like you can go on in your career to win multiple major championships and knock off the next one you haven't won."

Rose has been suffering with tendinitis in his shoulder, "an overuse injury", which is one reason why his form has been a little mediocre this year. Another, he explains, is that his focus has been so firmly fixed on this tournament. He has taken the past two weeks off, to allow the injury a little time to heal. He says the break gave him a chance to "get a lot of work done" on his game. His preparations here have mirrored those he used before his win at Merion.

Rose came up to look at Augusta 10 days ago but only arrived here . "I did a lot of my work the week or two prior to the tournament and went back and practised what I felt I was going to need. And then I turn up at the tournament a little bit later, a little fresher. In the past I always tried to get ready for Thursday. Now I try and get ready for Saturday and Sunday." Rose doesn't hope to be in the running then. He expects to be.