Antalya, Turkey …
Justin Rose has conceeded the European Tour ‘Golfer of the Year’ award to Sergio Garcia even if the Englishman should win the Race to Dubai title.
The ‘Golfer of the Year’ award is presented in the weeks following the conclusion to the European Tour season.
Garcia is standout favourite to win the honour for a first occasion in his career and on the back on his Masters play-off victory over Rose earlier this year at Augusta National.
And even should Rose capture this week’s Turkish Airlines Open and then go onto the finish atop of the Race to Dubai money list, the current World No. 6 Rose believes Garcia would be more deserving of the ‘Golfer of the Year’ accolade.
Justin Rose believes Sergio Garcia deserves European Tour ‘Golfer of the Year’ honours
“We all aspire to end a season being awarded the ‘Golfer of the Year’ title but given Sergio has won three times on the European Tour this year and one of those was a Major Championship then he must be favourite,” said Rose.
“Also, even though is his second on the Race to Dubai and if he were to finish second or third then Sergio’s overall season is deserving of being named ‘Golfer of the Year’.
“Sergio’s season has been the highest of the highs given he won a first Major in his career and he would be my own choice for ‘Golfer of the Year’”.
Rose tees-up in this week’s $US7m Turkish Airlines Open having captured a first Tour title in two years last Sunday in Shanghia.
The effort took Rose to third on the Race to Dubai but still just over two millions points behind compatriot Tommy Fleetwood and with Garcia second and some 800,000 points adrift of Fleetwood.
However, Garcia is not competing this week while both the Spaniard and Rose have elected not to contest next week’s season penultimate Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.
Rose won a first Race to Dubai title in 2007 while Fleetwood’s prior best season finish was 19th in 2014 while Garcia was third a best of third in 1999 and he very season on Tour.
Fleetwood is boosting his goal by contesting all three remaining events including the season-closing DP World Tour Championship commencing November 16th in Dubai.
And Rose has welcoming news good friend and countryman Paul Casey has elected to rejoin the European Tour and thus make himself available for Ryder Cup selection.
Casey has not been a member of the European Tour for nearly a decade and instead has concentrated on the PGA Tour but thanks to the intervention of European Team captain, Thomas Bjorn the veteran of three European Teams and 40-year old Casey can put himself in contention for selection.
“It is brilliant Paul has rejonied the Tour given the way he has played this past PGA Tour season,” said Rose.
“His consistency is good and just the way he plays golf is good. He is a power player and he would be such a massive edition to the team as he can play any format.
“He is experienced and Paul is the kind of player we need to really strengthen-up the team, absolutely.
“When you think about it, and I am projecting forward and don’t want to get ahead of myself, but if you add in Jon Rahm as well they would be two massive additions to our team and maybe we didn’t have at Hazeltine.
“So, they are two two guys who would be very comfortable against the Americans.”
