Justin: Only one English Rose will bloom

If Justin Rose gets to Saturday night and finds himself still on track for a first successful US Open title defence in 25 years, you may just see the Englishman skipping his country’s World Cup opener with Italy.

Not through a lack of interest, rather the opposite, because as Rose admitted yesterday at Pinehurst, and as any England supporter will tell you, watching England is bad for you.

Asked during his pre-tournament press conference whether he would be switching his focus to Manaus and the group game between England and Italy, last year’s victor at Merion was less than enthusiastic.

“We’ll see,” Rose said. “I thought I could be a little bit of a national hero if I’m leading the US Open and I swerve my press conference to go watch the game.

“I’m not saying that might not happen, but I do have not such a good story about that. Travelers Championship (2010) I was leading by three I think going into Sunday and England were playing. I don’t know if it was a quarter-final, we always seem to lose quarter-finals, but it was a big game, Germany, and it was an emotional football match and then I never really calmed down because that was pre my tee-off time. I think I watched it about 10 in the morning, we were playing at two o’clock in the afternoon, I ended up going out and losing the golf tournament. So maybe I’ll be a little bit more careful about my emotions watching the football.”

Not that Rose is expecting too much of a distraction beyond the group stages. When asked what the prospects were of a repeat English win in the US Open from either himself, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood or Ian Poulter, he replied: “I would say there’s probably more chance of one of us winning the major than England winning the World Cup potentially. ”