England's Justin Rose treasures winning the US Open golf title
Englishman bags his first major at the US Open, saying his late father never gave up on him
After a touching salute to his late father, a teary victory call to his mother in England and the kiss of the silver trophy, Justin Rose treasured the validation of winning the US Open for his first major golf championship.
"The silverware and the history books are phenomenal, but it's about learning about yourself and how you can handle it," Rose said after his steely cool finish to claim a two-shot victory over Phil Mickelson and Australian Jason Day at Merion. "That feeling of testing yourself and coming out on top is incredible."
Rose burst onto the international scene when he finished tied for fourth at the 1998 British Open at Birkdale as a 17-year-old amateur.
The Englishman, who learned the game from his father, Ken, who died in 2002 from leukaemia at 57, turned professional the next day. He suffered his growing pains in full view, missing 21 cuts in a row. "I sort of announced myself on the golfing scene probably before I was ready to handle it," said Rose. "And golf can be a cruel game.
"Definitely I have had the ups and downs, but I think that ultimately it's made me stronger and able to handle the situations like today."
Rose began to deliver on his massive potential by winning four times internationally in 2002.