BBC SPORT | Golf | Rose is England's best

Justin Rose goes into this week's Volvo PGA Championships as England's number one golfer.

The 21-year-old finished third in the Deutsche Bank - SAP Open in Germany on Monday which lifts him to a best-ever 62nd in the world rankings.

While Rose finished one shot behind Tiger Woods and Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood and Nick Faldo missed the halfway cut.

They are now at 71st and 78th in the rankings - a huge drop for Westwood in particular.

Just over a year ago Westwood was fourth and only 19 months ago Rose was 444th but their paths have gone in completely different directions since.

Difficult start

Westwood, who was Europe's number one two seasons ago, has failed to win a tournament since the World Matchplay at Wentworth in October 2000.

Rose, who shot to fame when he finished fourth in the 1998 Open as an amateur, had a difficult start to his professional career with 21 successive missed cuts.

But this year he has shown what he can do with three victories - two in South Africa and one in Japan.

Rose, Westwood and Faldo are all competing at Wentworth and hoping to secure places in next month's US Open.

Nick Faldo plays out of the sand
Nick Faldo was third at Wentworth last year

They need to reach the world's top 50 and for Rose and Westwood that would probably mean finishing in the first three at Wentworth.

Faldo has to win - or possibly be second on his own depending on how other players fare on the US Tour.

Faldo finished third in the tournament last year - his best performance of the year.

A repeat of that would leave the six-time major winner without an exemption and still hoping for a special invitation to Bethpage in New York.


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