JUSTIN ROSE is determined not to let another Major slip from his grasp — but says closing the deal is like trying to hold a bar of soap.
Rose does not feel he did anything wrong when he was beaten by Sergio Garcia in a play-off at The Masters, after an epic final-round battle.
But the English ace says the memory of watching Garcia pull on the Green Jacket in April will be an added spur when he begins his quest for a second US Open title at Erin Hills today.
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Rose admitted: “It hurt to watch Sergio take the applause, and the Green Jacket, of course it did. But that is something I have to use to my advantage.
“I don’t want to experience that feeling again, so hopefully that will be an extra motivation if I find myself in the same situation this week.
“Sometimes, in those pressure situations, it can be like a bar of soap — the more you try to grasp it, the harder it is to hold on.
“The way I look at it, this was probably the first time things have gone against me on the big stage.
“It was bound to happen some time. When I won the US Open in 2013 I came out on top after a great battle with Phil Mickelson, and it was the same thing when I pipped Henrik Stenson to the gold medal at the Olympics last year.
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“You are never going to take every winning opportunity, either because you make a mistake or because someone produces moments of magic.
“It was Sergio’s brilliance down the finishing stretch that took this one away.
“It was just his time, so I’ve got nothing to beat myself up about.
“And the way Sergio played those closing holes was amazing after all the scar tissue he’s had to deal with.
“You’d have to say Sergio had served his time and showed his resilience. I had my biggest struggle when I missed over 20 cuts at the start of my career, and maybe those things have helped to shape us up as competitors.”
Rose tees off today with a pair of huge-hitting Major champions in Rory McIlroy and Aussie Jason Day.
But the 36-year-old will not be intimidated if they keep bombing the ball past him.
Rose added: “I’ll just play my own game and enjoy it.
“I like the big stage, being in the big groups.
“That’s what we’re working towards.
“These are the events that will move the needle in my career, more than winning four or five times a year.”
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