A Polite Challenge

Filed in archive Golf News on December 23, 2007

English golfer, Justin Rose, who has recently earned the honor of being Europe's number one golfer now has his sites set on catching and surpassing Tiger Woods as world number one.

However, unlike Rory Sabbatini perhaps, Rose has stated his goal in a deferential way.

His immediate target "in the next one or two years" is to reach world number two from his current spot at number six. That is a fair goal and deferential to Woods.

Coming from someone else, say Mr. Sabbatini for example, it might have been " he's beatable and I'll probably beat him next year because I'm good enough".

But Rose didn't say that.

In three to five years, he says he'll work hard to "chip away at the number one spot". Again, deferring to Woods who is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in the game.

So, good for Rose for (a) selecting a goal that fires him up, (b) putting his integrity on the line by making the goal public and (c) doing so in a way that isn't the least bit offensive to anyone, specifically the guy who he'd like to topple.

To paraphrase the old Avis commercials when you're Europe's number one, you try harder.