Justin Rose has revealed that he is in confident mood ahead of the US Open at Pinehurst next week.
The Brit is looking to defend the title he won at Merion a year ago, and he believes that he has the mental strength required to become the first golfer to record successive wins in the competition since Curtis Strange.
"My preparation's going to be key," Rose told reporters. "It's about developing and designing a gameplan that you believe will hold up over 72 holes that you can execute that suits your game and that will produce the winning score.
"That's what I did at Merion. I produced a gameplan to shoot even par and that held up so I need to do the same at Pinehurst.
"I just feel like the US Open test in a sense suits my game. I like to play the tough golf courses. Typically that's when I've done my best relative to the field. It's the kind of golf I like to play where you can go out and shoot a good score but par is still a good number."
Rose has not tasted victory since his maiden Major success 12 months ago.
Callum Mulvihill
