JUSTIN ROSE AWARDED HONORARY MEMBERSHIP OF EUROPEAN TOUR

Justin Rose (left) receives his honorary European Tour membership card from George O'Grady, chief exectuive of the Tour. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c).

FROM THE SKY SPORTS WEBSITE

Justin Rose has been awarded honorary life membership of the European Tour in recognition of his US Open Championship victory in June.

"This is really an incredible honour," said the Englishman, who held off Phil Mickelson and Jason Day to record his first major triumph at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania.
"For a kid who started his career with 21 missed cuts, I guess this means an awful lot really. And the whole journey could not have been done without all the hard work of The European Tour.
"It's great to be back here and great to have a chance to be playing for the Race to Dubai. Like I said, this truly does mean a lot to me.

A number of European golfers compete to find the green from their hotel balcony in the DP World Tour Championship Atlantis Golf Challenge.

"It's been a great journey. There are many, many fantastic players who have done so much for European golf who have received this honour, so it would be wonderful for me to be able to do the same.
"I've got a lot of great golf ahead of me, I hope, and a lot of great golf on the European Tour ahead of me. So I look forward to living up to this honour."
Tour chief executive George O'Grady praised Rose, who has won six European Tour events since bursting onto the scene at the Open Championship in 1998, where he won the leading amateur silver medal as an 18-year-old.
"When we have one of Europe's own enjoying the season that Justin has had, and specifically winning the US Open Championship, we would be honoured if he would accept Honorary Membership of The European Tour," he said ahead of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
"He will now join a very illustrious band of major championship winners and others who have contributed hugely to the growth of the European Tour."