Justin Rose Targets The Open At Royal Birkdale

The Englishman returns to Royal Birkdale this year, 19 years on from his famous finish in 1998 to win the Silver Medal, and is targeting his first Claret Jug

Justin Rose Targets The Open At Royal Birkdale

The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale this year for the 10th time and Justin Rose is targeting his second major championship and first Claret Jug.

At the age of 17, Rose famously holed a wedge shot on the par-4 18th to finish in a tie for fourth as an amateur back in 1998 and win the Silver Medal. He turned pro the following day.

Related: Royal Birkdale Golf Club course review

The Englishman said, "The Open at Birkdale will be pretty special, you know '98 is where I finished fourth as an amateur.

"We're going back to Birkdale for the second time, so I think the second time is going to be easier."

Asked on what major he is targetting in 2017, the world number eight had no hesitations.

Related: Rose and Stenson pair up for new look Zurich Classic

"In 2008 it was all about 'remember Birkdale in 98', and now it's going to be 'okay guys it's water under the bridge lets just focus on the Open Championship 2017' so going back to Birkdale would probably be the one I'd choose."

Rose, who won the 2013 US Open and 2016 Olympic Gold Medal, came agonisingly close to winning the 2017 Masters, bogeying the 17th to tie Sergio Garcia before losing in a playoff.

He finished T9th in the 2008 Open at Birkdale but has never placed higher in the world's oldest major than in 1998. He was T6th in the 2015 Open at St Andrews.

Related: Justin Rose: What's in the bag?

Rose is looking to become the first Englishman since Nick Faldo in 1992 to win The Open Championship. No Englishman has ever won an Open at Royal Birkdale.

The 146th Open Championship takes place from 20th-23rd July where Henrik Stenson will defend the Claret Jug he won in fine fashion last year.