Justin Rose Eyes BMW PGA Championship Amid Ryder Cup Buzz
Justin Rose is in a prime position to capture the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, just weeks before the Ryder Cup in New York. The veteran golfer sits only one shot off the lead, fueled by a desire to add the prestigious title to his already impressive resume. He also touched on the form of other Ryder Cup players like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.
Rose's Pursuit of the BMW PGA Championship
For Rose, the BMW PGA Championship holds a special significance. In his 20th appearance at the DP World Tour's flagship event, he expressed his long-standing ambition to win the tournament, placing it just below the majors in importance. Having finished runner-up twice before, including a playoff loss to Anders Hansen in 2007 and a second-place finish to Luke Donald in 2012, Rose feels he is due for a victory.
"This is just below the majors to me, it’s our equivalent of the Players and it’s one that I’ve always wanted to win – it’s on my bucket list," he said.
With the final two rounds sold out, the home crowd is eager to see the popular golfer finally triumph on the West Course. A win would provide a significant boost heading into the Ryder Cup, but Rose emphasizes that the title itself means a great deal to him.
Ryder Cup Mindset: Focus on the Present
Rose also made comments seemingly directed towards teammates, specifically Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, suggesting that players in contention at the BMW PGA Championship will be fully focused on winning, while those further down the leaderboard might already be shifting their attention to the Ryder Cup.
Currently, Hideki Matsuyama leads the tournament at 12-under par, with Rose, Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg tied for second at 11-under. Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm are further down the leaderboard. Only Sepp Straka is not participating from the European Ryder Cup team.
The State of Play at Wentworth
McIlroy endured a mixed second round, starting poorly but recovering with a series of birdies before a disastrous double-bogey on the 18th left him at 3-under. Rahm improved on his first-round performance but still finds himself eight shots behind the leader. Neither player gave media interviews following their rounds.
| Ryder Cup Player | Score |
|---|---|
| Ludvig Aberg | -11 |
| Justin Rose | -11 |
| Viktor Hovland | -11 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | -7 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | -5 |
| Jon Rahm | -4 |
| Shane Lowry | -3 |
| Rory McIlroy | -3 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | -2 |
| Robert MacIntyre | -2 |
| Rasmus Hojgaard | MC |
Looking Ahead to the Weekend
With challenging weather conditions expected for the weekend, Rose remains optimistic, stating his intention to "stay aggressive." The third round is set to begin Saturday, with updated tee times to be announced. Aberg briefly took the lead in the third round but the leaderboard is tight.
