Justin Rose ends 11
- Published
Justin Rose is going it on his own after parting ways with Sean Foley, his coach of 11 years under whom he made his major breakthrough, won Olympic gold and became world No 1.
The news will come as a shock to the game because of their successful time together, in which Rose went from outside the top 50 to become one of golf’s biggest stars and Europe’s most important Ryder Cup players.
But it understood that when the pair met up again before last week’s PGA Tour return in Texas, Rose signalled his intention to oversee his own swing. The 39-year-old’s third place on Sunday at the Charles Schwab Challenge provided instant vindication after an indifferent spell.
When contacted by Telegraph Sport, Rose confirmed the split, explaining how the pandemic lockdown had played its part, with the golfer living in the Bahamas, and Foley in Orlando.
“I spent the past three months working on my game at home,” Rose said. “I made a lot of progress and wanted to keep that momentum going when I returned to competition in Fort Worth. I felt it was a good time to take complete ownership of my swing and game. That idea is something Sean has always wanted for me.
“I am grateful for the successes I had under his tutelage and the career goals I was able to achieve. The door is open whenever I have questions or want his guidance, as he continues to be one of my closest friends.”
For Rose, this means that in the last year he has changed coach, caddie and clubs. His 12-year run with Mark Fulcher came to an end last summer, while in May he and equipment-maker Honma ripped up a 10-club deal after just 12 months. Rose turns 40 next month and is plainly prepared to make the hard decisions he believes necessary to extend his already creaking CV.
It is an obvious blow for Foley, the ebullient Canadian, who was regarded as the sport’s hottest instructor just a few years ago when, as well as Rose, he had Lee Westwood, Hunter Mahan and Sean O’Hair in his stable, who all eventually left. Recently, he has begun to coach England’s Danny Willett, as well as crack US youngster Cameron Champ.