Justin Rose backs golf to grow in Saudi Arabia ahead of maiden event
Wednesday 30 January 2019 12:01, UK
Justin Rose has defended his decision to appear in the Saudi International and has backed golf to grow in Saudi Arabia.
Rose headlines the field for the tournament's debut at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club, where the world's top three feature in a regular European Tour event for the first time since 2012.
The decision to host an event in Saudi Arabia has come under scrutiny due to the country's human rights record, although Rose believes the tournament can change the image of the region.
"It's never straightforward, is it, but I think that obviously we're here to support The European Tour," Rose told the media on Wednesday. "For me, I think I can only commend their vision in terms of growing the game of golf.
"That's the industry in which I live. I'm not qualified to speak on any other subjects to be honest with you on great detail or authority. Between now and 2030, there's a big push here for golf.
"Hopefully golf is a conduit to bridging the gap between this region and how we perceive golf in the western world. I think having the top three players in the world and many other great players here, we're all here to support growing the game of golf, and golf is our industry."
Rose arrives in the Middle East off the back of a landmark 10th PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open, which extended the Englishman's advantage over Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson at the top of the world rankings.
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"I managed to just put a little bit of breathing space in there [battle for world No 1], and that's motivation for me this week is to continue that form to try and continue building that lead," Rose added.
"The world No 1 position is important to me but it's not my primary focus this year. My primary focus this year will be around the major championships, but clearly it's a nice thing to have. The bigger lead you can build, the better.
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"But in a scenario like this where you are playing against the top three in the world, at a tournament like this, it is on your mind and it's nice to, it will be extra motivation, obviously, to keep going forward."
Watch the Saudi International throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 8am on Sky Sports Golf.
