Part of the arrangements that have brought Rose to the Midlands include that he will fly with Darren Clarke and Chubby Chandler, Managing Director of ISM, to Chicago on the Sunday night. Rose is an IMG client (Clarke is with ISM) and as such, he has all the help he needs in a Tournament week and then for moving to the next Championship, throughout the year. You might not have noticed that you will rarely see top players in the same kit even from Tournament to Championship, throughout the year. Being a fashion model is part of the annual process but it’s off course that they can ‘express’ themselves, lounging around in jeans and basically having some fun.

It was when Rose was at his lowest in his professional playing career that he met up with Ian Poulter. They started rooming together and Poulter’s infectious ‘up for it’ character was a huge help in the turn around that saw Rose start making cuts then go on to become a multiple winner. Now both are winners and have rooms for themselves and their partners (when they come on Tour) – in Poulter’s case a wife and baby and for Rose, an IMG agent Kate Phillips.

The ‘fun’ is not what it was. Both players have more commitments because they are winners so Rose, playing in the Pro Am early Wednesday is up at the time milkmen enjoy. He finishes playing and spends a fair few minutes afterwards with his team. A quick lunch and he then goes to the media tent, to face some 40 or so of the top reporters for a Q&A session, plus the radio, and Sky TV for European Tour weekly. Next it’s across to the practice ground, and Rose ends up for an hour on the practice chipping green. Its now past five, a few more autographs to give then its back to his room.

Wednesday was getting out of bed and preparation to play, five hours of the Pro Am, another hour with guests, 30 questions from the Press plus other media, two hours of practice, a healthy dinner and then to bed. If you think a tournament day is more relaxed, think again.

Rose warms up for nearly an hour before he makes his way to the tee at 8.00. Play is a bit quicker than for the Pro-Am and as soon as Rose has finished, he faces 15 minutes with the printed press, more time for Sky and for the Radio. It’s nearly two before all this has finished and one of the questions Rose has answered is about his afternoon.

On Wednesday, Rose answers were about his memories, his game, playing in the same group as Poulter, Rose’s thoughts on Poulter’s win, choosing to play this week, the US Open, more on the Tournament, what he is doing after the US Open, his game (again), the Open, Charity work, more on the Open, his career, older players, the US Open (again), Poulter (again).

Today, he goes through his round then ‘dodges’ the detail of his actual workout this afternoon – its legs but what he is actually going to do is staying secret. Having started work with Frank Dick (incredibly experience athletic trainer), Rose now has specific workouts and this is one of them. He will be reporting back to Dick later in the month, notably on improved general fitness and a lowering body fat. This afternoon nearly two hours will go on conditioning, once he has signed lots more autographs.

After the fitness work … there is a bit more practice.

Playing in the morning on Thursday means that a Tour player’s second round is Friday afternoon and this brings into play the first in, last out rule. There is the obvious benefit of an easy morning but with fields compacting up (score wise) those ending up in the lower reaches of the qualifiers from Friday afternoon are the last in so they go out earliest.

Having managed an eagle and a birdie at the end of his Thursday round, Justin is handily placed on the leaderboard as he starts his second 18. His position gets better with early birdies then starts to get very much worse, to such and extent that he is in danger of missing the cut as has Montgomerie. It’s only a birdie at 17 to balance out a bogey at 18 that sees Rose through - to an 8.04 tee off time.

Rose starts at level par, the same score as his great friend Poulter. Very few know that after play, there is a stretch limo arranged to take both down south to Rose’s sister’s 21st birthday that night. Rose manages a 73, Poulter a 63. When they have finished play, news gets to the press tent about the party and photographers are set waiting. Rose finds out about the terrible weather in the US that afternoon which will delay the tournament over there before setting off to enjoy himself, minus Poulter who now lies just a handful of shots away from the lead and has thought better of spending a Saturday night just like anyone else in their early 20’s – he stays in the car for the photo opportunity though.

Rose has advanced one starting time for the final round – 8.14. He apparently has had only a few hours sleep but still prepares as he would for any round then goes out and shoots 67 to leap up the leaderboard. A lunchtime finish and its more press, this time with his face and his story (given to the journalist on Tuesday) over two full pages of the biggest Sunday broadsheet. The Sundays also include more detailed review of Olympia Fields and the private jet would have allowed Rose three practice rounds for the US Open – he firmly says he would only practice twice, no matter what the intricacies of what laid ahead.

Both Rose and Clarke finished early (with great scores) however their flight slot stayed at early evening giving (UK) then arrival in Chicago at 10pm local time. As it happened, both played very well the following week and were the highest ranked participants from the European Tour, apart from Stephen Leaney. They had been playing a modern design shotmaker’s course at the British Masters with hard fast greens and thick rough (including extra thick stuff around one of the practice greens) whilst a number of other European Tour stars were enjoying Avenal, a US stadium course of some note but nothing like the classic that the US Open was being held on. It had US Open length rough and the factoring of terrible weather and the tournament ending up finishing on the Monday put those acclimatising at a disadvantage but if Rose was happy to only practice twice, his only preparation minus was jet-lag ….. or was it tiredness from having had a week that very few of us could cope with as well as the English Hero?