Justin Rose is set to tee up for his 21st U.S. Open in 2026. When it comes to playing or winning the majors, they’ve remained his utmost priority. Winning the Open Championship is a dream that Rose still strives to achieve. The 2013 US Open champion has come agonizingly close to winning majors in his late career, but they keep slipping away by near misses. Despite that, he will arrive at Shinnecock Hills excited to improve his game this year.

“Yeah, I focus on the big events, for sure. I kind of try to build the ebb and flow of the season around them,” Rose said at the press conference. “I try to make sure I’m getting my recovery right and trying to make sure I’m getting my preparation cycles right to play well in the big events. I potentially sacrifice a few things along the way to try to make that happen.”

The Englishman has been facing a tough time in the majors. His most recent appearance at the US Open in 2025 ended in a missed cut after he posted a score of 14 over. The streak of missed cuts has been going on for a while.

Here’s the thing: He posted a T37 at the US Open in 2022. But his agonizing streak of losses continued through the 2025 season. At the Masters last season, Rose fired a final-round 66, only to lose to Rory McIlroy in a playoff.

His performances spiraled from there as he missed the cut at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. He followed it with a 14-over at the U.S. Open at Oakmont, where he missed the cut. Even at Royal Portrush, where he was chasing his long-held dream of winning the Open, Rose could not do any better than a tie for 16th.

However, this year, Rose once again put himself in contention at Augusta. He held a two-shot lead during the final round before three bogeys derailed his charge as he tied for third. He followed that performance with a strong showing at the PGA Championship at Aronimink, carding rounds of 70, 73, 65, and 69 to finish T10. While he is still searching for another major title, the 45-year-old has already recorded two top-10 finishes in majors this season.

No wonder Rose further said:

“Obviously, that’s a very hard thing to do, which is to kind of peak on demand, but you’ve got to give it a go, right? You’ve got to kind of stack the odds in your favor. My team and I talk about ticking boxes. As I prepare for a major, I tick as many preparation boxes as I can to give myself ultimately the best chance I can of playing well.

“They’re the events that grab my attention. They’re the events that are going to change my career. They’re the events that I’ve sort of been getting up for and playing well in. So, I’m excited.”

That performance can be credited to Rose’s meticulous recovery routine. The Englishman has battled recurring back issues in recent years, making it increasingly important to manage his body over a full season.

Speaking to Dan Rappaport, in February Rose detailed the extensive preparation behind every tournament round. For an 8 a.m. tee time, he typically wakes up at 5 a.m. and begins the day with a massage from his trainer, focusing on the lumbar region. That is followed by breakfast and a 30-minute fitness warm-up. From there, he heads to the range for roughly 40 minutes ahead of his round.

However, his work does not stop once he signs his scorecard. After rounds, he retreats to what he calls a recovery bus. It is an RV equipped with hot and cold plunges, an infrared sauna, a steam shower, a red light bed, and a spin bike with fresh oxygen. He then waits for the next day’s pin positions to be released around 8 p.m. before mapping out his strategy for the round ahead.

Away from the majors, Rose’s season has been a mix. He missed the cut at last week’s RBC Canadian Open after finishing two over par through 36 holes. Elsewhere, he recorded a T12 finish at the Memorial Tournament, a T45 at the Truist Championship, and a T65 at the Cadillac Championship.

Still, the season has not been without its highlights. Rose won his 13th PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in February by seven strokes. In fact, he set a new tournament scoring record at 23 under par.

Now, with another U.S. Open week underway, Rose is eager to see whether all that preparation can finally translate into another major run at Shinnecock Hills.