Golf: Rose refreshed as Augusta looms large

 

World number two Justin Rose returns to action at the Arnold Palmer Invitational starting in Florida on Thursday after taking the past month off to put “some gas back in the tank” before the business part of the season.

The four major championships come thick and fast over the next few months, which is why Rose skipped recent tournaments most other top players contested, including the WGC-Mexico Championship.

“I’ve had four weeks off at home, purposely, putting some gas back in the tank, counter-acting a lot of travel on the back end of last season,” the Englishman said at Bay Hill in Orlando on Wednesday.

“It was needed (but) I’ve practised hard the last couple of weeks.”

Four rounds this week (assuming he makes the cut) should give Rose an idea of the state of his game heading to next week’s Players Championship, the most prestigious tournament outside the four majors.

Looming even larger on the horizon is the year’s first major, the April 11 to April 14 Masters at Augusta National, where he lost a playoff two years ago to Sergio Garcia.

Rose is a winner this year, capturing the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego in January, before flying halfway around the world to miss the cut at the European Tour’s Saudi International.

“I’m into a run of golf now. There’s a block of work starting this week,” said Rose, who thinks the Bay Hill course suits his game.

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