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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONS

October 30, 2019

Justin Rose

Shanghai, China

BRIONY CARLYON: Delighted to be joined by Justin Rose here at the WGC-HSBC Champions.

Justin, welcome back. You're a former winner of this event, and also a great result last year, as well, almost going back-to-back. Just your thoughts on being back here in Shanghai and how much are you looking forward to the week.

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, absolutely. Like you say, it's been a good little hunting ground for me the last couple of years and it's a golf course I really enjoy.

This year, I haven't been on it yet but I've seen the conditioning around it and just driving past No. 9 and 18, and Lordy, my caddie, has walked it. The course is in probably the best shape I've seen it to be honest with you, and a good test. Maybe a bit more rough this year, as well.

Yeah, looking forward to getting out there. Got a great pairing with Xander, who I played with in the final last year, and obviously playing with Rory, as well, I believe. It should be a great week.

BRIONY CARLYON: Just inside the top 30 for The Race to Dubai, as well. This week there will be a lot of points on offer, and next week, as well, in Turkey and the end of the season. How big of a next phase of tournaments to finishing off the year strongly?

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, obviously the fact that the points ramp up, especially the first prize, really. This week obviously is an important week for me in terms of both tours. I always get off to a slow start on the PGA TOUR because I don't play much before January.

So this tournament's always been quite key for me to try and get off to a strong start on the PGA TOUR season because that's underway but obviously very important in terms of closing out The European Tour season, especially with the way the points are weighted with the prize fund in Turkey and Dubai; it offers me the opportunity to make a run.

To be honest, I've probably got to win the last three to challenge Shane and Jon Rahm and the guys that are doing really well, but that's the situation I put myself in in 2017, and I very nearly did it.

Looking forward to going back to the well and trying again.

Q. I realise you're primarily in Race to Dubai mode, but if you can put a U.S. Tour hat on for a second. The boys that are coming over for this stretch in Asia, what would you find to be the greatest appeal: Prize money, World Ranking points, or the fact that for many, coming off of whatever break they have had, no cut?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I think the fields have looked pretty strong from the outset, looking from a distance. World Ranking points, for me, I feel like I need to make a little push in that direction. I've slipped a little the last few months. That's definitely a focus of mine now coming up here.

You know, I've always enjoyed playing in Asia, as well, so I feel like the strength of field, it's strong, but it's also quite varied, as well. You're playing against some players that you wouldn't otherwise I think see week-in, week-out, on the PGA TOUR, as well.

I haven't played Korea or Japan yet, so it's tough to make a call on that, but they are definitely tournaments I would like to play.

I just haven't found my rhythm this year in terms of fitting everything in schedule-wise, but they are tournaments that I would like at, and I think I would love to find a way to fit them in, because like I say, I always feel really too far behind once January comes around.

You've got to trust your game and you've got to trust the fact that you're going to play well in tournaments that are on your schedule and put yourself eventually in a position come August to be competing well in the FedExCup. But you know, when you're a couple thousand points behind someone, and it's January, it's definitely -- it always feels like a little bit of an uphill battle. So for me to try to work that into my schedule in the coming year could be important.

Just quickly, you were saying about prize money. If you were chasing prize money, The European Tour offers; the closing stretch offers you the best opportunity. Obviously the prize funds in Turkey, South Africa and Dubai are very eye-catching.

So if you were looking at a schedule, one would be World Ranking points, FedExCup points, and the other one might be dollar signs. It's an interesting balance, but The European Tour have definitely made the end of the year very enticing.

They have weighted the first prize to 2 million, 2.5 million and 3 million in Dubai. So 3 million in Dubai is the biggest first prize in golf. So from that point of view, you know, that's interesting.

Q. When it comes to The Race to Dubai, how do you keep your stamina and focus of doing China, Turkey and then?
JUSTIN ROSE: In 2017 I was so close to getting it done and just sort of stumbled bit on the Sunday. When I look back at it, it was a lot to ask. Winning in Turkey, winning in Dubai -- I mean, winning in Shanghai, winning in Turkey, and then I was pretty much right there in Dubai.

This year, instead of flying all the way back home to the Bahamas, I'm going to spend the week in London just to try to stay a little bit closer to time zones and not travel as much. That's how I've tried to -- my family are going to help me out and travel to London. Four weeks away from them is not possible, so I'm going to do the two weeks on the road, they will meet me in London, and I'll come back to Dubai to try to counteract that.

It's a tall order on the body, and to try and keep your game going with that many air miles and time changes.

Q. The little girl you were coaching yesterday in the HSBC junior thing, you admired her routine and everything, which I thought was good, because I thought it was getting on the long side. But what did you think of Xander's rather interesting piece of advice; that you find somebody you don't like to play against when you're little, or somebody older or somebody you don't like, and just keep playing them?
JUSTIN ROSE: Well, that's basically how I grew up. I was the runt of the litter. I was 12 years old playing against 18-year-olds when I whole junior career, really, and I was always the youngest. I was always slightly out of my comfort zone. I could never hit the ball as far as the guys I was competing against, and I think that was probably the best learning ground that I had.

My first ever Junior Open, I was eight years old, and there were definitely moments where I was teased. But more so, just being on the golf course and not having the same sort of power and opportunity to play the same way, you have to figure out different ways to compete and I think that was probably one of the reasons.

I think I was renowned for my short game when I was a kid and my ability to score, and I think that was borne out of just having to keep up with the older kids for sure.

So I think it was great advice that Xander gave for sure. You don't have to dislike them, no, but just being out of your comfort zone. That's the way I still try to practise. I try to make simple tasks more difficult. I call it deep practise, whatever it may be; the more you challenge yourself.

I think probably Francesco Molinari is probably the best example of that on tour. He makes his practise as uncomfortable as possible so that it's as easy as possible when it matters on the golf course.

Q. Less than a year to go, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and you will be there to defend the Gold Medal. Is there any plan now for this upcoming Tokyo Olympics? Will you be taking time to play more in Japan and really get familiar with the country and with the venue, as well? What was your plan this year for defending the Gold Medal all?
JUSTIN ROSE: So yeah, the plan is already in place, but the plan is in here and it's in here (indicating head and heart). You know, it's in my mind and it's in my heart and it's a goal of mine for next year; that's where I think it's more important. To burn energy, to burn time going there and playing the golf course more than I need to, I don't think is necessary.

But having it be my inspiration every day to go to the gym, to practise, to keep working hard, that's why it's important. Certainly it's a goal for me next year for sure.

Q. We had Rory in here just before, and he was mentioning how Tiger has kind of -- "mellowed" is the word he used. Sort of said he was a bit more approachable and a bit more one of the boys in the changing room. Is that an approach that's been noted by yourself and the other professionals and kind of how important do you think that slightly different mentality has been to Tiger getting back to something like his best?
JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, it's been good to see him mellow for sure. I think maybe adversity does that to you. There's definitely been moments where he's probably thought that he might not get back to being his very best. You know, with that probably comes, you know, a whole different mind-set.

But clearly, he's still just incredibly competitive. You know, Tiger has always been an absolute pleasure to play golf with as a competitor, even at the heighth of his focus or the height of his -- peaks of his powers, he was always really good fun, a good time on the golf course. Always engaged in conversation in it came up and always compliment good shots and what have you. From that point of view, he's always been very, very good.

I think just the exterior stuff that goes on around him kind of forces him to have that sort of very unapproachable tunnel vision-type mentality because it's just his way of not dealing with everything else that goes on around him, which is ten times what anybody else has to face on Tour.

But you know, when you get -- when you get one-on-one, he's always been pretty approachable. But yeah, he's certainly mellowed, but we all change through the years. It's good -- I think he's probably in a great spot. He definitely looks happy and he's got his perspective with his family and his golf definitely in line which is great.

BRIONY CARLYON: Thank you for your time. All the best this week.

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