Justin Rose's Road To World Number One
In this piece we take a look at the Englishman's road to becoming world number one.


In this piece we take a look at the Englishman's road to becoming world number one.
Justin Rose's Road To World Number One
He may have lost the 2018 BMW Championship play-off, but Justin Rose has moved to world number one in the world thanks to years of incredible consistency.
His second place at the BMW Championship was his second runners-up finish in a row after doing the same at the Dell-Technologies Championship and it sees him jump from fourth to first in the rankings ahed of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas.
Below we take a look at his long and illustrious road to becoming world number one.
Justin Rose's Road To World Number One
A 20-year process, Rose burst onto the golfing scene at the 1998 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale where he famously holed his approach shot on the 18th hole to secure a fourth place.
He then turned pro but his career took a clear downturn from that point after which he missed his first 21 professional cuts.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
But he persevered and in 2002 had four professional wins including the Dunhill Links Championship, the Nashua Nedtel Masters, The Crowns Tournament and finally the Victor Chandler British Masters. By the end of the year he had gone from 165th to 39th in the world and he would stay in the top 100 players from that point onwards.
Then, in 2007, he ended the year with two second places, a tied ninth and a win at the Volvo Masters to get to 7th in the world.
His 2008 and 2009 seasons were winless and he dropped to 70th in the world but from 2010 onwards he has had at least one professional win each year. In fact in 2010, 2014, and 2015 he had two wins and then in 2017 he had three.
In total he has won nine times on the PGA Tour in some big tournaments including the Memorial Tournament, WGC-Cadillac Championship, the BMW Championship, WGC-HSBC Champions and finally his finest moment came at the 2013 US Open at Merion where he beat out Jason Day and Phil Mickelson to collect his first and only Major.
On the European Tour, Rose has won 11 times and has also collected an Olympic Gold medal representing Great Britain at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Rose has become a truly formidable Ryder Cup player too. He will be playing in his fifth event in 2018 and has compiled a record of 11 wins, six losses and two halves. His 1up win over Phil Mickelson in particular, which included two incredible putts on the 17th and 18th, allowed Europe to pull off a stunning come-back in 2012 at Medinah to win by 14.5 points to 13.5.
Expand Justin Rose What’s In The Bag?
Justin Rose What’s In The Bag?
What clubs does Justin Rose currently use?
Expand Who Is Justin Rose’s Caddie?
Justin Rose and David Clark have teamed up…
Expand 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Justin Rose
20 Things You Didn’t Know About Justin Rose
Check out these 20 things you didn't know…
Now he has got to the top of the game, he truly has achieved everything there is to achieve.
"To get to world No 1 is unbelievable, and I can say now in my career I've been the best player in the world," said Rose after losing the playoff. "I've been to the top of the game, and that's definitely some consolation.
"I just wish I could have enjoyed the moment maybe, and this just slightly dampens it. But tomorrow or the next day, or the week after, I'll look back at this and think it was amazing, an amazing moment in my career."
Rose is the fourth Englishman to become world number one after Sir Nick Faldo, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald.
Don't forget to follow Golf Monthly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest golf news.

Sam is Golf Monthly's Senior E-commerce Editor which mean's he oversees everything E-com related on the site.
This takes the form of creating and updating Buying Guides, reviews, and finding bargain prices for deals content.
Working with golf gear and equipment over the last seven years, Sam has quickly built outstanding knowledge and expertise on golf products ranging from drivers, to balls, to shoes.
He combines this knowledge with a passion for helping golfers get the best gear for them, and as such Sam manages a team of writers that look to deliver the most accurate, insightful, and informative reviews and buying advice. This is so the reader can find exactly what they are looking for, at a good price.
Additionally Sam oversees Golf Monthly voucher/coupon content which seeks to find you the best offers and promotions from well-known brands like Callaway, TaylorMade and many more.
Unfortunately, Sam is not a member of any club at the moment but regularly gets out on the golf course to keep up the facade of having a single-figure handicap.
-
US Open Betting Tips And Odds: Final Round Picks
Who are we picking to win the 2025 US Open?
-
LIV Golf Carlos Ortiz Said He ‘Deserved’ To Be At US Open… A Year On And He’s Contending To Win It
A year ago, Carlos Ortiz claimed he warranted a place in the US Open field - now, he's in the mix to take the title at Oakmont
-
Who Is On Brooks Koepka’s Team? Coaches, Caddie, Wife and More
Brooks Koepka is one of the most successful players of the era – here are the members of his inner circle helping him to stay at the top of his game
-
Brooks Koepka Is Still Not Wearing LIV Golf Logos Three Years After Switching To The PIF-Backed League - Here's Why...
The five-time Major winner is the only LIV player at the US Open not wearing any of the circuit's branded apparel - we explain why
-
'And Then I’m Going Fishing’ - Dustin Johnson Reveals Retirement Plans But Maintains He Isn’t Done Yet
After his success at the 2016 US Open at Oakmont Country Club, Dustin Johnson believes he can still compete at the top level and get back to his best before retiring to the fishing lakes
-
‘My Game’s Been Really Close’ – Dustin Johnson Confident He Can Contend For Second US Open Title At Oakmont
The 2016 US Open champion is confident in his game ahead of the Major, despite some recent disappointments at the big events
-
Remembering The Controversial Penalty That Almost Cost Dustin Johnson The 2016 US Open At Oakmont
Oakmont staging the US Open again conjures up memories of the last time it held the event, when Dustin Johnson had to survive a nervy rules controversy to lift the title
-
Phil Mickelson Admits 'There’s A High Likelihood' Oakmont Could Be His Final US Open
Phil Mickelson admits that Oakmont could be his farewell appearance in the US Open as the six-time runner-up's exemption is due to expire
-
'I Couldn't Tell You A Par 3 Over 250 Yards That's Good - PGA Tour Stars Believe 'All The Best Par 3s Are Under 200'
Justin Thomas and Viktor Hovland are not the biggest fans of the daunting eighth hole at Oakmont for the US Open - saying they much prefer shorter par 3s
-
Why Justin Thomas Won’t Be Changing His 10-Year-Old Fairway Wood Anytime Soon
The 16-time PGA Tour winner has revealed the reason he has kept a Titleist 915Fd 5-wood in his bag for a decade