CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Justin Rose went all of Friday without making a birdie, finally getting one to fall on the 18th hole to make the 36-hole cut on the number at The Open.
On Saturday, the Englishman matched the Carnoustie course record for The Open, making seven birdies to shoot 64.
“I felt like it was a beautiful morning to play golf,” said Rose, 37, who is ranked third in the world. “I felt like it was an opportunity to score well out there. The greens were somewhat receptive, obviously, and the pins weren’t as tough as maybe the first couple of days. I felt like it was a typical setup for a moving day today. So it was nice to make that move.
“I think momentum-wise, birdieing the very first hole, picking up where I left off last night, got me well into the round early.”
Rose, who won the Fort Worth Invitational in May, was among the pre-tournament favorites, given his recent form. He’s been top 10 in his last four starts, including a tie for 10th at the U.S. Open.
He was in the third group to start the day and by shooting 7 under par had moved into the top 10 by the conclusion of his round.
“Gratitude just to be here,” he said. “I think the first couple days were hard work and frustrating. But then there’s a difference between being 3-over on Friday and way off the lead and 3-over and way off the lead on Saturday morning. You kind of feel a bit more grateful to be here rather than Friday night, you feel frustrated to be there.
“So I think the birdie on 18 last night freed me up, and I’m just very happy to be out on this golf course and not down the road somewhere else this morning. So that might have been part of the shift in mindset today. Obviously, I had nothing to lose from that point of view.”