Rose blooms with ten-birdie final round 65

JUSTIN ROSE is to the English golfing media what Tim Henman is to their tennis counterparts.

In truth, both are nice guys no matter how their jingoistic public and television commentators try to change them. Rose has shown the courage of a lion in fighting back from missing out on 21 successive cuts in the early days of his professional career to establish himself among the world's top 50 and a very live candidate for this year's European Ryder Cup team.

He came to Co Kildare this week under a cloud having followed a sparkling 65 in the Open Championship qualifier at Sunningdale with a 73 to miss out one of the 17 places on offer. It meant he was relying on big finishes at either The K Club or at Loch Lomond next week to tee it up at Royal Troon. He still has another week to wait to know if he has achieved his ambition, as even yesterday's course record 65 wasn't enough to remedy his situation. Instead, French Open champion Jean-Francois Remesy and Australian Richard Green go through from a 'mini' Open order of merit, and another Aussie, Peter O'Malley, through tying for 2nd yesterday.

Trouble for Rose was that he compounded Monday's flop by taking an eight at the long 18th in his first round of 73 on Thursday, followed that up with a nine at the par four 4th in the second and then started yesterday by dropping two more strokes at the 1st. Given that he still finished two under par for the 72 holes, simple mathematics tell you that Rose would have been right up there with Retief Goosen had he managed the regulation figure at those three holes. He could have been forgiven for starting his excuses with the words 'if only' but, in fairness, he was a lot more philosophical and positive.

"I had ten birdies and that has to be the most I ever had in one round of golf," said Rose.

"It didn't look good when I hooked my drive down the 1st and ran up a six but the key was that I walked off composed and stayed calm. It was less than a conscious effort after that and there was no internal fighting. There was a doubt that I would come here after Monday but the reason I did so was to feel better at the end of the week and I have done that. I putted a lot better than I have done for the last few weeks. Sure it was tough at times but it was also a confidence-booster."

Rose's 65 shot him through to the field, up to 2 under for the championship and into share of 14th place.

Jesper Parnevik shot 67 yesterday to finish one under par - and then withdrew from Loch Lomond because of an injured shoulder. There was no other way for him to qualify for the Open and now he has to be a doubt both for the Nissan Irish Open on July 22-25 and to play in the 11 tournaments required to remain a member of the European Tour.