Justin Rose has backed Ryder Cup team-mate Rory McIlroy to respond to criticism of his US Open near miss by playing his best golf at the Open.
The Northern Irishman briefly held a two-shot lead with five holes to play at Pinehurst but bogeyed three of the last four, missing two short putts, to finish a shot behind winner Bryson DeChambeau.
McIlroy will have one more chance to end his decade-long major drought at Royal Troon this week and Rose believes the 35-year-old will be out to prove a point after the scrutiny which followed his failure to get over the line a month ago.
“It’ll be hard for sure. This week will probably be a good step towards doing that, just getting out and playing your way into whatever happens,” said the Englishman.
“He’s probably got the bit between the teeth. I’ve always felt that with Rory, when he gets criticised or when people start to doubt him in certain ways, he’s done it before; that’s when he actually starts to play some of his best golf.
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all for him to do well.”
McIlroy’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has witnessed first-hand the four-time major winner’s mentality inside the team room and leading from the front out on the course.
He accompanied him for Monday’s practice round and believes he is in as good a place as he can be.
“Rory’s game seemed very solid to me, I followed his whole 18 holes. He looked good,” said Donald.
“Just listening to him in his press conference this week and seeing him on Monday his spirits are high.
“He has tried to take all the positives from the disappointment at the US Open and try to learn what he did wrong.
“That is what the greats do, they know no-one can be perfect, everyone makes mistakes, everyone misses putts and misses shots.
“But he put himself in that position and as long as he has been around the game he has been tremendously consistent and he is consistent because he can rebound from those tough moments.”
:: Luke Donald was speaking in his role as ambassador for OptimallyMe, the leading health technology company that aims to revolutionise personal health through data. To find out more and start your personalised health journey, visit www.optimallyme.com.
