Justin Rose, like his RBC Canadian Open playing partner Rory McIlroy, stayed loyal through the tumultous past 12 months to the PGA Tou

Of course, McIlroy had been more outspoken than his fellow European though did not downplay Rose’s determination, as now one of the more senior players, to the PGA Tour cause, and that being so evident when the 42-year-old captured this year’s AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

You could have at a guess Rose may have been responding to LIV Golf’s Greg Norman comments following news of a merger: “We changed history and we’re not going anywhere”.

Justin Rose declaring he would rather be in a PGA Tour position than in a LIV Golf situation following the end of the war in men’s golf.

You could have at a guess Rose may have been responding to LIV Golf’s Greg Norman comments following news of a merger: “We changed history and we’re not going anywhere”.

But then like McIlroy, it came as a huge shock to the 35-time pro-winning Rose in learning via twitter, and like the rest of the world, that golf’s three warring parties had come together choosing to end the conflict that has rocked men’s professional golf to the very foundations of the ancient game.

“I mean, the news was definitely left field,” said Rose after posting a three-under 69 and two shots fewer than McIlroy.

“It was like one of those wondering if it was a prank for the first five minutes or so, you know. I’m very happy with what I’m doing. I feel like my game is trending where I want it to be. I feel like it’s been important for me to challenge myself against the best players in order to try to rekindle the form that I know I’m capable of.

“Obviously playing major championship golf was always the thing I could never give up. So I was kind of always very content.

“Yeah, the news, the headlines seems like it’s just going to be this very smooth transition and come on back, boys, it’s all done now. I don’t think that’s the case. I still think I’m happy where I am. I’d probably be more concerned if I was on LIV right now than on the PGA Tour”.

What Rose specifically meant by that last sentence we don’t know as he was then asked a question from the assembled media that concerned his Pebble Beach in February, thus ending a four-year and one week worldwide winless drought.

You could have at a guess Rose may have been responding to LIV Golf’s Greg Norman comments following news of a merger: “We changed history and we’re not going anywhere”.