Former world number one Justin Rose is eyeing a spot in Europe's Ryder Cup team this year after ending a four-year trophy drought with victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Monday.
It has been a tough time for the Englishman on both sides of the pond over the past four years, with injuries, equipment changes and a lack of form seeing him struggle to compete for victories.
| What | Ryder Cup 2023 |
| Where | Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Italy |
| When | 29th September - 1st October 2023 |
| How to watch | Sky Sports |
| Odds | Europe 15/8, Tie 12/1, USA 8/15 |
Big money not a motivating factor
The 42-year-old missed out on selection for Europe's 2021 Ryder Cup side and he was also forced to miss The Open last year due to a back issue - the first time he has sat out the event since 2006.
With the arrival of LIV Golf, it would have been easy for Rose to join the new Saudi-backed Tour and get a monster cheque for his troubles, a decision the likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and others took.
However, it is testament to the character of the 2013 US Open champion that he continued to work on his game during the recent difficult years in the hope of getting back to his best and winning trophies again.
Major hopes rekindled
That hope was realised on Monday when he recorded a three-shot victory at the weather-delayed Pebble Beach Pro-Am - his 11th PGA Tour title - and that win has seen him climb to 35th in the world rankings and secure his place at the Masters in April and May's PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.
Rose has finished second or tied-second twice at Augusta National and he is 66/1 To Win Outright the 2023 US Masters for the first time, while he is 66/1 To Win Outright the 2023 PGA Championship.
With the confidence and belief back for the Englishman, he will also be hoping to compete in the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club in June, before making a return to The Open at Royal Liverpool in July.
Rose is 12/5 To Make Cut in all 4 Majors, while he has been increased from 14/1 to 16/1 on bet365's Bet Boost To win a Major in 2023.
Rose admitted after his victory in California that he hadn't "entertained what the Ryder Cup looks like for me" and that his sole focus for the start of the year was putting in some solid performances.
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Ryder Cup firmly back on the agenda
Well, this victory at Pebble Beach has certainly thrown him into the picture for the event at Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy and European skipper Luke Donald was full of praise for his compatriot, tweeting: "So good to see @JustinRose99 back in the winners circle again, nice to see all the work you've been putting in pay off Rosey."
Having moved up to ninth in the World Points List for Ryder Cup qualification - a massive jump of 97 places - there is a real possibility Rose will be representing Europe for the sixth time.
He has been part of the winning side three times, in 2012, 2014 and 2018, while he suffered defeat in 2008 and 2016.
Speaking about his chances, he said: "Obviously I would love to play my way onto the team. But I wanted to be a player that if I'm playing well, Luke (Donald) has to consider and feel good about being part of this team."
As things stand, Europe's six automatic qualifiers are Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Victor Perez from the European Points List and Viktor Hovland, Alex Noren and Shane Lowry from the World Points List.
Skipper Donald will then have six picks to complete his 12-man team and he has a good roster to choose from, with the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rasmus Hojgaard, Nicolai Hojgaard, Thomas Pieters, Adrian Meronk and Robert MacIntyre all hoping to be part of his plans.
There is also the Italian duo of Francesco Molinari and Guido Migliozzi, who will both be desperate to play on home soil as Europe aims to win the cup back from the USA after their record-breaking loss at Whistling Straits in 2021.
Europe are 15/8 To Win Outright, while the USA are 8/15 and the Tie is 12/1.
