Rose: I know how tough it is for Tiger

Justin Rose spared a thought for Tiger Woods after a promising start to the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte.

The world number one lost his 74-year-old father Earl this week after a long battle with cancer.

Four years ago Rose’s father Ken died from leukaemia aged just 57.

“He’s obviously mentally very strong and I think he got that from his dad,” Rose commented following a two-under-par 70 at Quail Hollow, which left him only two strokes off the lead.

“He’ll cope, but it’s not easy. Obviously, I was as close to my dad as he is to his, so I know exactly how hard it’ll be for him right now.

“The difference is how much attention comes with being the number one player in the world.”

Rose has been trying to make his mark in America the last two years, but has had not a top-10 finish since the Bay Hill Invitational in March.

“I didn’t feel on top of my game completely out there today,” said the 25-year-old.

“I thought my way around very well, made the most of my good shots, limited the damage when I hit a bad shot and rolled the ball quite well on the greens, which was nice.

“It’s a tough, tough course and the greens are so firm that you really have to have control of your iron shots to land it in exactly the right spot.”

Out in front on 68 are Americans Jim Furyk and Bill Haas and South Africans Rory Sabbatini and Trevor Immelman.

Haas, whose father and brother are also playing in the event, and Immelman turned in two-over and then covered the front nine in just 30 shots.

Sabbatini and Furyk, loser of a play-off to Vijay Singh last year, reached five-under, but both men finished with bogeys at the ninth.

Singh began with a 71, as did Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els, while Lee Westwood and Greg Owen shot 73 and Graeme McDowell and Brian Davis struggled to rounds of 76.