Justin Rose won the troubled (meteorologically speaking) 2023 edition of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The British champion has put an end to a fast that lasted for four years. In 2019 he won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines with a two stroke lead over Adam Scott.
The victory in California coincides with two events, different though related, both important for both Rose and the world of professional golf in general. The first hearing of the arbitration case was held on Monday morning between the DP World Tour and the LIV Golf players who have filed an appeal against the sanctions imposed against them by the Tour.
The Briton rejected a generous offer from the Saudis to join the League led by Greg Norman. Rose has seen his lifelong friends, companions of many battles with the Teram Europe shirt, join the LIV Golf family. Lee Westwood, Ian James Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson are among those awaiting the outcome of the arbitration on whether or not they will have a future on the DP World Tour.
Rose, on the sidelines of the Pebble Beach victory, explained that the decision to give up playing on the LIV circuit was fundamentally linked to his ambition to play the Majors (his dream as a boy). Today we know that two of them (The Open and the Masters) did not close the door to LIV players, but there was no indication to that effect back then.
But let’s come to the second event.
Justin Rome, results
The Briton is back to lifting a trophy in the Ryder Cup year. The win in California propelled Rose to ninth on the World Points List, one of two automatic qualifying paths for a squad spot in Rome.
As we have already seen, the outcome of the London arbitration will also clearly affect eligibility to be part of Team Europe. In the event of an unfavorable decision for the recurring players, a scenario would open up with a European team filled with young people, led by Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy.
In such a situation, Rose’s experience, gained in five holdings at Ryder, would be a fact that the Captain could not ignore. And, after all, Luke and Justin know each other well. They were both in Medinah.
