Rory McIlroy prediction made by Justin Rose ahead of The Open - 'It wouldn't surprise me'
Rory McIlroy will enjoy a successful run at the 152nd Open Championship according to Justin Rose, who doesn't believe his near miss at the US Open will hold him back
Justin Rose reckons a fired-up Rory McIlroy can shut up his critics and claim Open glory.
The Northern Irishman goes into Royal Troon as favourite to win the 152nd Championship. McIlroy needs to bounce back from the agony of his last-gasp loss in last month’s US Open. He was hit by criticism in the wake of the Pinehurst collapse, but his Ryder Cup mate believes that’s just the motivational scenario that McIlroy thrives upon.
Rose said: "He’s probably got the bit between the teeth. I’ve always felt that with Rory, when he gets criticised or when people start to doubt him in certain ways, that’s when he actually starts to play some of his best golf. He's done it before. It wouldn’t surprise me at all for him to do well."
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Rose has seen at first-hand an ability for a rival to bounce back from brutal US Open defeat to lift the Claret Jug. The Englishman saw off the challenge of Phil Mickelson to claim his Major success at Merion in 2013.
Just a month later, Mickelson bounced off the ropes to win The Open at Muirfield. Rose said: "It was pretty impressive that Phil was able to win that one after a tough loss at Merion, which is obviously the one that he’s been looking for. But then to get that little gift of a Claret Jug probably took a little bit of the sting away."
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McIlroy is aiming for a fifth Major and Rose knows the hunger that comes with wanting to win more. He said: "Yeah you get greedy for sure. You definitely feel like you’ve done it once and you can do it again. They come thick and fast though and it takes a lot out of you.
"When you win your first, especially all the buzz that goes with it, to settle down, bank it, do the preparation, do the work required to go into the next major.”
Other candidates to win this year's Open includes Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, PGA champion Xander Schauffele and US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau. The bookies are also fancying Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm to do well at Troon.
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