Justin Rose is preparing to make his seventh Ryder Cup appearance for Europe at the Bethpage Black match, which begins on 26th September.
Despite being the oldest player in the 12-man line-up, the 45-year-old’s form indicates he can still make a valuable contribution on the course.
Among the highlights of Rose’s year so far was a runner-up to Rory McIlroy at The Masters, as well as victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
That form means that, as he prepares for this week’s BMW PGA Championship along with 10 of his Ryder Cup teammates, he is currently the fourth-highest-ranked player on the team, in 12th.
While the Englishman looks almost as sharp at any point in his career, to many, he would be a natural fit for the Ryder Cup captaincy once Luke Donald, who is just two years older than Rose, steps aside.
So, is he taking notes on Donald’s approach in preparation for potentially taking on the role in the future? Ahead of this week’s Wentworth tournament, Rose admitted he is giving it more attention than under previous captains.
He said: “Luke has done a phenomenal job. It is interesting for a captain to be a peer. I think obviously when I played my previous Ryder Cups, I always looked up to the captains as players I played with and alongside but never really been a peer of mine, whereas Luke is.
“I think because of that, I pay more attention to the process and what he's been going through and how diligent he's been and how time-consuming it is and what a phenomenal job he's done, not just the weeks of the tournament but the continual kind of consistent messaging and mindset he's created throughout the team.”
The big question is whether Rose would even accept the job if it were offered to him. On that subject, he wasn’t giving too much away, but he didn’t write off the possibility, adding: “The question does get asked and I do start to think about it.
“I'm not sure there's ever a perfect time to be a Ryder Cup Captain. Because one, it's a little bit too early for you and you sacrifice your own golf, or unless, Keegan, you do it like Keegan.
“Or then you leave it to late, you feel like you're hanging around and traveling more than you want to be at that point in your career. So I don't think there's a perfect time to do it.
“Should the question get asked, I'll obviously do my very best to consider it and make the right decision.”
While that’s a decision Rose will potentially have to wrestle with in the future, for now, he believes he still has plenty to offer as a player.
He explained: “At this point, it's exciting, and I don't know if it's wishful thinking, but yeah, I do believe I can kind of keep going, as well.
“When you're in a Ryder Cup, it doesn't seem that far away. You kind of believe you can still keep going to do another one. Lots to unpack there, I guess.
“But point is, Luke's done an amazing job, and because I paid more attention and I realise what a big job it is, so if you do say yes, you've got to be ready for it.”
