Red-hot last year, defending AT&T champ Rose looks to end barren spell by Abigail
Rose was the talk of golf this time last season. His first PGA Tour victory had come in the Memorial, he led by three with a round to go in his next start and then he picked up another $1 million check at Aronimink.
2011 AT&T NATIONAL
AT&T National host venue Aronimink was the second most difficult nonmajor course on the 2010 PGA Tour, with a scoring average 1.21 strokes over par. Only Honda Classic host PGA National was tougher.
Complete coverageGolf on TVWoods making progress, won’t return to action until fully healthyWoodland feeling like a rookie again, but with schedule made for a starRedhot last year, defending AT&T champ Rose looks to end barren spellOn his third heart, Compton on verge of fulfilling his PGA Tour dreamBethpage Black and Liberty National to host Barclays in PGA Tour playoffsLocal Knowledge: AT&T NationalBob Hope Classic gets new name and format, becomes Humana ChallegeThursday recapFriday recapSaturday recapSunday recap
Review Aronimink
Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa., is the venue for this week’s AT&T National. Have you played it? If so, click on its name to write a review of your experience. Also, be sure to check out our PGA.com Course Guide to review all the courses you’ve played and to find the perfect course for your next round.
“It’s pretty much the polar opposite to last year, really,” said the 30yearold, who after this week heads back to Europe for the Scottish Open and Brtish Open.
“The last few weeks I’ve run into a bit of trouble, but I guess in some ways I come in with sort of no expectation, which can be a good thing,” he explained.http://www.iknowgolf.net/2012/04/23/red-hot-last-year-defending-att-champ-rose-looks-to-end-barren-spell/ “I feel like I’m working on a few areas of my game right now. The game is not bad and the results could sort of pop out at any point I feel.”
Rose is hoping the course setup will help him to start climbing the world rankings again after falling to 31st.
“I think you have to drive the ball well there is a bit of rough out there,” he said. “All year we’ve played a lot of courses where the rough has been down, whereas I think this really brings ballstriking into the equation as much as anywhere.
“You’ve got to hit the fairways and you’ve got to be very patient and got to have great strategy,” he added. “It’s a golf course where it’s not going to necessarily be 20 under par. I like that.
“I’m third in greens in regulation this year, which is a statistic I haven’t particularly dominated in the past,” he said.http://www.iknowgolf.net/ “If you do hit a poor shot here, it takes a great recovery shot to make par, so I think it tests all aspects of your game.”
Rose was as impressed as anyone by how Rory McIlroy bounced back from his Masters collapse to win the U.S. Open by eight shots two weeks ago.
“What a great start for a 22yearold to notch a major under his belt that early,” said Rose, who did, of course, finish fourth in the British Open as a 17yearold amateur back in 1998 and has still to improve on that in a major.
“I don’t feel sorry for Rory having to bear that burden of expectation now. He’s earned it, he deserves it, he’s a great player,” he added. “The way he played at the U.S. Open captured a lot of people’s imagination that he is good enough to cruise to victory.
“I think he plays golf with a great attitude,” he said.http://www.golfzonejp.com/ “I think the way he handled Augusta was probably as impressive as his win to be honest, the way he bounced back from that.”