Rose is ready to make the most of growing stature

As a rule of thumb, the standing of a golfer can be gauged by the company he keeps, particularly in a pro-am. Yesterday Justin Rose had a hint of his growing stature when he found himself partnered with Ian Botham, Beefy's son Liam and the even beefier London chef Richard Shepherd in the prelude to the English Open, which starts here today.

At this rate Rose will soon be demanding appearance money. From Hook in Hampshire, he is enjoying the season of his career and victory in the British Masters at Woburn last Sunday was his first in England and his fourth worldwide in the last five months. At 21, Rose appears to have found the key to the door.

"Last week's tournament was the biggest I have won by far,'' he said. "It seems to have hit home to other people and I've got a bit more recognition.''

It was four years ago, of course, that Rose had more recognition than he could handle after chipping in at the last to finish fourth in the Open championship at Royal Birkdale. A 17-year-old amateur, he immediately turned professional and did not win a bean for what must have seemed like an eternity as he missed 21 successive halfway cuts. It was a sequence that probably would have destroyed a more fragile species than Rose.

Before his exploits at Woburn, where he shot 65 in the final round to beat his friend Ian Poulter by a stroke, Rose had won twice in South Africa and again in Japan. "There was some things missing,'' he said, "Like my family not being there and playing against a full European tour field. Winning the British Masters completed the whole thing for me.''

Rose has broken into the world top 50 and advanced to seventh in the Volvo Order of Merit with more than £400,000. Asked if he had "arrived'', Rose replied: "I don't know, and I don't really care. I'm content with playing my own game and trying to progress. Whether I have arrived or not is how other people see it. There is a long road ahead and hopefully I have another 20 years or so in the game. It is important to take it day by day.''

Andy Beal has a similar philosophy but for a very different reason. The 36-year-old had his left eye removed six months ago after being diagnosed with cancer. "I'm a bit apprehensive but I'm looking to see if I can finish and win some money,'' said Beal, who has an artificial eye. "After the operation I had seven weeks off and sat on my backside watching a lot of golf on TV. It was good because I got enthusiastic and was looking forward to playing.

"I don't want to sound blasé but it's not much different now I am used to the visual aspect. Bunker shots are a bit more fun because you can't ground your club so I can't get the feel of where the bottom of the ball is or where to strike the sand. It would help if the weather was sunny. My vision is better when there is lots of light. If I don't play well I don't think I will be able to blame the eye. It comes down to ability. At times I find myself not picking something up when I go to pick it up. I'm not going to get better at this but fortunately I'm not in a position very often when it is important to see something coming at you from the left. I probably wouldn't make a very good scrum half.''