“I just couldn’t see that changing anytime soon” - Justin Rose exposes LIV Golf offer, cites “major” hurdles and dilemmas for potential switch
This weekend, Justin Rose is at Pebble Beach as defending champion. During a recent interview, he shared that it's not in his plans to give up playing in the majors.
"I just couldn't see that changing anytime soon," he said.
The defending AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am champion played his first round of the 2024 edition for a score of four under. After his round, Justin Rose answered questions from the press. Among the questions asked was whether he ever received an offer to play in LIV Golf.
"I guess, technically, I might have done like two, two plus, three years ago or something, at least had a conversation around it," Rose said. "But for me, it was always I could never get comfortable with the giving up on the childhood dreams of the majors and I just couldn't see that changing anytime soon."
"I was in a position, in a situation where I was having to earn my way into them, I didn't have those long-term exemptions and things like that to buffer it."
Justin Rose was also asked his opinion about an eventual rapprochement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, and the possibility that the players could all play together again.
"I think it's complicated... but I think ultimately, if this is all structured the right way, those guys coming back strengthens the tour, and everybody that's now involved in this new structure is going to benefit from those great names coming back and being a part of the tour, so, you have to look at it objectively as well... I don't think there's necessarily an easy reintegration anytime soon, but I don't see that as off the table."
Justin Rose became a major champion in 2013, when he won the US Open. Since then, he has finished in the Top 10 nine times. Including three second place finishes at The Masters ins 2015 and 2017 along with The Open Championship 2018.
Justin Rose at the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Justin Rose began his participation in the second Signature Event of the season by scoring four under at Spyglass Hill. His performance included five birdies and one bogey. Rose was only able to reach seven of 18 greens in regulation, but made up for it with his incredible putting ability. He only needed 21 putts for the first 18 holes.
During the second round, Rose made two birdies with no bogeys on the front nine. At this point in the round, Rose is T9, four strokes behind transitional leader Thomas Detry.
Rose teamed with amateur James Gorman, the executive chairman of financial company Morgan Stanley.