WENTWORTH, United Kingdom (AFP) - Former champion Justin Rose believes he is back on target to peak for a second victory in next month's US Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.
The English golfer was among the early starters on day three of the European PGA Championship and signed for a two-under-par 70 to move to back to level par in difficult conditions on the Wentworth course.
Rose had spectacularly fought his way into the closing two rounds of the event when he eagled the final hole on Friday and that was also after running up a shock quadruple-bogey eight at the eighth hole when he hit a shot out of bounds.
"It was a tough day out there so I'm pretty happy with the score," he said.
"It was the kind of day I'd have loved to have shot 67, which I felt would put me in contention going into tomorrow, or given me an outside chance.
"I'm a few shy of maybe what I needed but a good round of golf nonetheless. Starting with three pars was nice, but then I didn't capitalise with a bogey on the (par-five) fourth.
"It was nice to bounce back with birdies on five and six, which is always a positive sign.
"I'm struggling a little bit with my feels and my game so on a breezy, tricky day it was a good score."
The 36-year-old will return to the United States on Sunday night ahead of the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial in Columbus, Ohio. He will then have a week off before the US Open commences on June 15.
Rose lost out in a play-off at the 2015 Memorial, while two years earlier he became the first Englishman in 43-years to win the US Open at Merion.
"I am looking forward to Erin Hills as it will be another new venue for us and from what I hear it will be a great venue," he said.
"I have the Memorial next week where I went so close to victory a few years back and then a week off before the US Open.
"So, it was important for me I made the cut here at Wentworth.
"For me, it has been about sacrificing a little bit of form for a few weeks which is not necessarily a bad thing.
"And I see this next block of golf as really building things back up towards the US Open and then it's non-stop really from now right through the FedExCup and on."
