ST ANDREWS, Scotland — Justin Rose will be chasing a childhood dream with a prize even more precious than a Mars bar or train set when he begins his pursuit of the British Open on Thursday.
The world number eight is the highest-ranked Englishman in the St Andrews field and his country's most likely candidate to end a long, barren run without an Open winner, extending back to Nick Faldo's Muirfield triumph in 1992.
"It would mean the world," the 34-year-old told reporters on Tuesday. "Growing up, this is the one tournament I dreamed of winning.
"My dad used to encourage me to get out there and play and set hill targets and goals to keep me interested -- whether it be a Mars bar on the way home or a train set at the end of the
year -- and just kept it fun for me.