Rose eager to take on Tiger

THE thought of taking on Tiger Woods at the Open next week possibly head to head has Justin Rose licking his lips.

After starting the Barclays Scottish Open with a six under par 65 at Loch Lomond, the 21-year-old rising star of British golf indeed world golf has a chance to go to Muirfield with a staggering fifth win of the season under his belt.

It would guarantee his presence in one of the star groups for the opening two rounds of the Open, four years on from his amazing debut at Birkdale, where as a 17-year-old amateur he came fourth.

World number one Woods finished one shot and one place ahead of him, but they never played together.

''It would be tremendously exciting, unbelievably exciting,'' said Rose, who like the rest of the golfing world wants to see if Woods can move one win away from the sport's first-ever Grand Slam of all four majors.

''It would make the week harder to play with him, but it would make it more fun, more of an experience. I guess I would relish it!''

In the final warm-up event, one carrying a massive first prize of £366,660, Rose again demonstrated his amazing ability to forget the past.

Six days after a round of 81 sent him crashing out of the European Open he took a one-stroke lead over Miles Tunnicliff and Swede Fredrik Jacobson while some of the big names Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood among them struggled badly.

Faldo and Westwood both managed only 76 while, as the expected heavy rain arrived in the late afternoon, Colin Montgomerie was heading their way until he played the last 12 holes in one under for a 72.

Two other Scots, 20-year-old amateur Barry Hume and 44-year-old Sandy Lyle, lie joint fourth with two more Englishmen in Warren Bennett and John Bickerton.

Each of Rose's earlier four wins this year have come the week after missing the halfway cut. ''When I have a bad week I don't panic,'' he said.

''I trust in my game now and it's easier to shrug off a bad week.''

After two victories in South Africa at the start of the season, Rose went to Japan in May and won there as well.

But it was his triumph at the British Masters at Woburn last month he was six strokes behind at halfway, then fired successive 65s to beat Ian Poulter by one that really hammered home to fans here what a different player he is from the one who only four years ago missed his first 21 cuts as a professional.

This time Rose outscored playing partner Retief Goosen, the defending champion and current European number one, by seven.

Jacobson completed his round with two birdies - and four in the last six holes - just before 9pm.

Faldo was making his first appearance since coming fifth at the US Open last month, but he had double bogeys at both the 17th and 16th.

Westwood, in danger of falling outside the world's top 100 14 months after standing fourth in the rankings, did not have a single birdie and came to grief with a seven at the long 13th.