Justin Rose: Rory McIlroy has 'energy and focus back' at The Open

Justin Rose claimed on the eve of the final men's major of the year he wasn't completely devastated by his playoff defeat to Rory McIlroy at The Masters. 

The 44-year-old will tee off tomorrow at Royal Portrush with hopes of sealing his first Open Championship win on his 23rd start in golf's oldest major. 

Rose finished second at the 2018 Open and was also runner-up to Xander Schauffele 12 months ago at Royal Troon. 

The Englishman proved in April he still has the game and pedigree to add to his 2013 US Open triumph with a stunning performance at Augusta National. 

But McIlroy's birdie on the 18th inflicted Rose's second Masters playoff defeat. 

"It's been a weird one because I don't really feel like I had to get over it because I didn't necessarily feel completely devastated by it either," Rose told reporters at Royal Portrush when asked if he had buried the defeat. 

"I felt like I played well. I felt like I could walk away with my head held high. So from that point of view I didn't really feel like there was much baggage or much to get over."

Rose was widely praised for over he handled defeat as he spoke of how it was difficult not to be pleased for his European Ryder Cup teammate.  

Witnessing history was special, he said. 

His wife Kate was also pictured warmly embracing McIlroy's wife Erica at the back of the green. 

"Everyone wants to talk to you about it," Rose said. "So in that way it's hard to get past it. That's the only thing I would say that I felt maybe.

"It's a subconscious, it's not even a conscious thing. I think I'm over it. I don't know. Who knows?"

"His legend has been growing"

The aforementioned McIlroy told reporters at the beginning of the week his story wasn't over. 

McIlroy, who admitted he was not prepared for the adulation he received when The Open was held here six years ago, also said that if he isn't going to lift the Claret Jug on Sunday then he would like to see Rose in the winner's circle. 

Rose said a McIlroy victory in front of his home fans would be special. 

And he believes he has seen a difference in the grand slam winner's demeanour this week. 

McIlroy acknowledged after climbing his Everest in April that he needed to find a new mountain to climb. 

"Rory is obviously a local hero around here, and rightly so, and he has been probably since he shot...  I think he shot 61 here as a kid, didn't he?" Rose said. 

"The legend around him in these parts has been growing for a long, long time. Obviously he's going to be incredibly well supported this week.

"I feel like the pressure is off him almost from that point of view this time around as it was to 2019 maybe even, the fact he's got nothing really more to prove. 

"This would just be like cherries on top of everything. I feel like probably he's in a good mindset, I would imagine.

"Obviously I've had a bit of a come down off the back of The Masters. 

"I feel like I'm coming back around to having more energy and focus again. I can see maybe the same for him too."

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