After much speculation, Justin Rose has announced that the 2018 British Masters will take place at Walton Heath.
It won’t be the first time that the European Tour has visited the Surrey club having hosted the European Open on five separate occasions between 1978 and 1991. The course also hosts US Open qualifying and hosted the Ryder Cup in 1981.
“Walton Heath is a golf course I really, really enjoy playing,” Rose said. “In fact I love it.
“I went back to Walton Heath in the summer just to ensure I wanted to take the tournament there and I had forgotten how good a golf course it is.
“It has got teeth but it is traditional and hopefully the players will really enjoy it. Hopefully we will assemble a strong field, get some good weather and we can host an amazing tournament next October.”
Rose takes over the reigns from Lee Westwood who was the host of the 2017 event at Close House in Durham. Ian Poulter and Luke Donald had previously hosted the event, at Woburn and The Grove respectively.
Rose added: “It’s a huge honour to host the British Masters and to follow in the footsteps of three friends of mine, Ian, Luke and Lee.
“I’ve known for a while that I was next in line to host in 2018, so I’ve been watching carefully to see how the boys have done the hosting role.
“They’ve all done a great job and put their own stamp on it, and their own personality on it. They’ve all been very successful and the crowds have been great.
“This tournament has really created its own identify on the European Tour. The guys have left a pretty good blueprint for me. Hopefully I can put some of my own touches here and there and continue that success.”
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Rose has one British Masters title to his name, one he described as “special”.
He explained: “It was the only event my dad was able to be there to see me win as a pro, so from that point of view it has always had fond memories for me.
“My dad had been battling leukaemia for a while and had gone into remission and then relapsed. I knew he was having a tough time, so I don’t know where I got the strength from to play that type of golf. Maybe that’s where, from him, to show him I was going to be successful after a tough start to my professional career. I’m very grateful that I was able to win and justify all his belief and faith in me as he was my biggest supporter and advocate.”
The 2018 British Masters will take place from October 11-14, two weeks after the Ryder Cup.
