A Rose looks to bloom in Scotland Click here for more on this story Posted: Tuesday July 13, 1999 08:57 PM   Rose has had a tough year, but he feels his past failures have only made him stronger. Stephen Munday/Allsport CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) -- Justin Rose's last shot in the British Open flew out of the rough, over a bunker and straight into the hole. The shot left the 17-year amateur tied for fourth place, and a celebrity whose promise seemed endless. Rose is now an 18-year-old pro, and the only other thing he's remembered for these days is a sorry trail of 22 straight missed cuts. He finally made the third round of a tournament two weeks ago at the European Grand Prix and placed 74th. Now, after earning barely $5,500 in his first year, he has to field questions about turning pro so early. "I don't regret anything I have done, there's no doubt about that," he said Tuesday, two days before he tees off for the British Open. "Timing didn't quite happen, momentum didn't quite get going. But I never regret it. "Turning professional -- I'd like to lay this ghost to rest," he said. "I was turning pro after the British Open no matter what happened." Rose did so poorly after turning pro that he failed to earn his playing card for this season and has been relying on sponsors' invitations for European tour events. He got his first check after dropping to the Challenger series of tournaments. This a far cry from the time when teen-age girls shouted his name as he walked down the fairway at the British Open and the country cheered its young hero in the making. "I feel a better player due to everything that has gone on -- technically, mentally, everything," he said. "I feel a lot tougher, there's no doubt. I can take anything that anybody throws at me ever again. "The more times I didn't succeed -- I wouldn't like to call it failure -- the more times I didn't do well in a tournament the harder I would go home and practice. And the harder you practice and not see the results the more frustrating it gets. "Maybe I'll play fewer events, get my head back together and prepare for them a bit more professionally." While Rose has struggled, contemporaries like Sergio Garcia and David Park have won tournaments. Garcia, a 19-year-old Spaniard, won his first European Tour title, the Irish Open, in only his sixth event as a pro. Park, a Welshman who has moved up from the Challenger series, lost a playoff in his first tour event and won the second, the Moroccan Open. Rose says he's not envious. "No, I am just happy for them, I really am," he said. "I know Sergio and David well -- I've played a lot of amateur golf with them. "They've proved to me that [turning pro] was the right thing to do. You learn a lot as an amateur. But there's no reason why a young guy can't go out there and do it straight away." After struggling for a year on European courses, Rose now faces one of the toughest in golf. Players like Colin Montgomerie and U.S. Open champion Payne Stewart predict the winner could finish 16 over par. But Rose insists his goal isn't just to make the cut. "Obviously, I get judged on making cuts," he said. "To make the cut here would be nice, don't get me wrong, and it is quite a big check for making the cut. "That's the first step to doing well. I think that to make the cut you have to go out with aspirations to do much better."   Related information Stories On Tiger's Tail The length of Carnoustie comes in all sizes Irish eyes smiling on Americans History poses a major test for Woods Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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