Justin Rose already has one U.S. Open title under his belt as his lone major victory.
Would a second one be nice? Sure, but the 45-year-old doesn’t see the accomplishment as “life-changing” as he prepares to compete at Shinnecock Hills in this year’s tournament.
Rose wasn’t shy about listing off his impressive accomplishments when he was asked about the topic on Wednesday afternoon, noting his previous No. 1 ranking, Olympic gold medal, and FedEx Cup title.
“I feel like it’s less important based on my other résumé,” he said, acknowledging that being a “multiple major champion is better than a major champion.”
“Multiple of anything that I’ve achieved in my career, I would love more of what I’ve done,” he continued. “I’m very grateful for the things I’ve achieved. I’d love more of it all, but I don’t think it changes my career.”
Rose’s lone U.S. Open win came back in 2013 at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania.
His gold at the Olympics came three years later in Rio, and two years after that, he won the FedEx Cup and reached the top ranking in the world in the same year.
He was nearly on the verge of winning a second major title in 2025 before Rory McIlroy beat him in a playoff at Augusta on his way to completing his career Grand Slam. But Rose feels no extra pressure going into the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.
“You need to push yourself to find that level in the first instance, and I think where I’m at in my career now, pushing myself to find that final kind of level again to win another one would be a lot of self-satisfaction,” he said. “I don’t think it necessarily massively changes my standing in the game.”
This week will mark Rose’s first time back on Long Island since the Ryder Cup as part of the victorious European squad.
The Englishman praised the golf scene on Long Island and said the area was “littered” with great courses.
“I think Bethpage is one that’s hosted big championships, is worthy of hosting majors and Ryder Cups. Shinnecock, another one that’s a real major championship venue,” he said. “You could turn up here any week of the year and pretty much play a major. There’s so many cool golf courses. One of my favorite places in the world to play golf is in this area.”
