Justin Rose has a new trophy in his trophy case at home: the Victor Chandler British Masters trophy representing his victory of the DP World Tour event in 2002 at Woburn Golf Club, about 50 miles northwest of central London.
Rose posted a video on social media and explained there were only four editions of that version of the trophy, and he never got a replica of it. A couple of his close friends noticed the original was being auctioned recently and purchased it for Rose and surprised him with it. “It means so much, I was actually lost for words,” Rose said in the video, showing a photo of his father physically touching the trophy with him and his family. “It’s the only professional win my late father was there to see. Truly special.”
Indeed, it is. Rose’s father, Ken, died later that year after a long battle with cancer. Rose holed putts from seemingly everywhere in the final round to shoot 19-under par and secure a one-shot victory over Ian Poulter, who was hosting him at his nearby home that week. This victory marked Rose’s second professional win as a pro.
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“Now I have the actual physical embodiment of that day right here, sitting next to another trophy that my dad won when he was a 17-year-old boy,” Rose said. “It’s a perfect pair now. The special memories I have for that day now have a special trophy to go alongside it. Thank you to two amazing friends of mine who very generously went out of their way and figured out the rightful home for this fantastic trophy.”
Rose, 41, added his most recent trophy in late January when he won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. In all, he has bagged 11 PGA Tour wins, including the 2013 U.S. Open, and 11 on the European Tour to go with another eight on various other tours, for 30 worldwide wins. Rose’s trophy room went viral earlier this year when he posted an image of it behind an indoor putting green, with the trophies beautifully backlit. Top-notch job and would expect nothing less from a class act like Rose.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Justin Rose receives special trophy from friends with emotional ties
