Mark Fulcher has compared Justin Rose to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James in terms of his investment and committment to becoming the best at his sport. The 45-year-old is well established in the world of golf with 13 wins on the PGA Tour and a US Open title to his name.
However, according to long-time caddie Fulcher, he didn’t get to his level without a wealth of investment both on and off the course. Speaking to sports PR agency, Press Box PR, he explained: “I think you absolutely can [compare him to Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James]. I think not only with the commitment and investment he puts in himself, with the bus that he’s installed, the recovery bus that he takes with him everywhere, the team that invests around him.
“Golf is expensive now. You have a caddie, a coach, a putting coach, a short game coach, people on the mental side, then you get the physio and they’re all incredible. He’s managed to put a really top team together.
“It’s expensive, but interestingly, ever since I’ve known him, and we’re probably into our 16th or 17th year of knowing each other, he’s always wanted to invest in himself. He’s never tried to cut a corner for monetary reasons.
“He’s in a position now where he’s done very well, but these were in days when he didn’t have that big financial security that he has now, but he was still prepared to take that chance and it’s obviously paid off for him. That just shows the commitment and belief in himself that he was prepared to make.
“He always looked at it as an investment, as opposed to a cost. Other golfers will look at caddies, physios, the private jet as a cost. Rosey still perceives that as an investment and I think that’s another piece of wisdom that he’s picked up and others could follow.”
It comes as Rose will test himself against the world’s finest golfers this week, as he takes to Aronimink Golf Club to compete in the PGA Championship. The Johannesburg-born star tees off alongside defending champion Scottie Scheffler and fan favourite Matt Fitzpatrick at 7.05pm BST on Thursday evening.
A case of always the bridesmaid but never the bride for Rose, his best finish at the second major of the year came in the form of T3 alongside Keegan Bradley, Carl Pettersson and Ian Poulter in 2012’s instalment at Kiawah Island.
Rory McIlroy ultimately won that tournament, storming the field with a total score of 13 under par. For context, David Lynn finished second at five under, while Rose registered a score of four under after four rounds.