Rose hopes Final Series can take him to No 2 in world
By Sam Holden
(Reuters) - Justin Rose wants to end the year as the world number two and is targeting the European Tour's 'Final Series' to climb the rankings, starting with the BMW Masters in Shanghai on Thursday.
The 34-year-old Briton joins six of his victorious Ryder Cup team mates in China for the first of the four-tournament series that brings the curtain down on the European season.
World number six Rose is due to play in three of the events and is looking to take advantage of the absence of top-ranked Rory McIlroy and world number five Henrik Stenson with a good performance at Lake Malaren.
"The aim is to strengthen my ranking as much as possible," said Rose who took four points from his five matches at last month's Ryder Cup in Scotland.
"If I was to play well and win a few tournaments before the end of the season I could get myself to second in the world rankings which would be a personal best," he told reporters on Wednesday.
Rose accepted that he had a tough task to dislodge McIlroy who goes into the Final Series with an almost unassailable lead at the top of the European money-list.
The Northern Irishman, who has won two majors this year, is taking time out to focus on his legal battles with his former management company and will not play again until the series ends with the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November.
PATERNITY LEAVE
Stenson is taking paternity leave this week following the birth of his daughter.
Rose, who has won on the European and PGA tours this year, warmed up for the BMW Masters with a match-play exhibition victory over close friend and Ryder Cup team mate Ian Poulter.
"We had a little match play competition yesterday and he managed to beat me 3 & 2 so it would be nice if I can go one up on him this week," Briton Poulter said.
"It's always nice to come back to Asia and I've got a decent record here. I've played well on this golf course in the past so I'm looking forward to getting going.
"I like the layout, I like the way it looks and if the weather holds off for us and is kind, it's going to be a great week," added Poulter.
The pair will this week be back in the company of Ryder Cup colleagues Graeme McDowell, Victor Dubuisson, Thomas Bjorn, Jamie Donaldson and Stephen Gallacher who helped Europe beat the United States in the biennial team event at Gleneagles.
Seventy-eight players will compete for a prize fund of seven million euros ($8.92 million) at Lake Malaren. ($1 = 0.7847 Euros)
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)
