Rose going without a swing coach after 11 years with Foley
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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 19: Justin Rose of England walks with coach Sean Foley during practice prior to the DP World Tour Championship Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 19, 2019 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Former FedExCup champ worked with Sean Foley since 2008
Written by PGATOUR.COM staff
One of the TOUR’s longest teacher-student relationships has come to an end.
Former FedExCup champion Justin Rose has split with longtime swing coach Sean Foley after more than a decade together, according to The Telegraph.
“I am grateful for the successes I had under his tutelage and the career goals I was able to achieve," Rose told the British newspaper. "The door is open whenever I have questions or want his guidance, as he continues to be one of my closest friends.”
Rose was struggling with his game before finishing third at last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge. His success at Colonial also came after a recent split with equipment manufacturer Honma.
His finish at Colonial was his first top-10 on the PGA TOUR since last year’s FedExCup Playoffs. He is now 123rd in the FedExCup after arriving at Colonial ranked 205th.
Under Foley, Rose won the 2018 FedExCup, a major (2013 U.S. Open) and ascended to No. 1 in the world ranking.
“From how he eats, to how he trains, to how he breaks down a golf course, he has a very thoughtful approach to maximizing his probability for success,” Foley said of Rose in 2018. “Sometimes people are afraid to change what they do or how they do it. His lack of satisfaction in what he’s doing has really pushed us to look under every rock."
In a text message Wednesday, Foley wrote, "We had an incredible 11 years and we are left with an amazing track record and more importantly a friendship that will last the rest of our lives."
The coronavirus pandemic played a role in Rose’s decision to go without a coach. Rose and Foley used to both live in Orlando, Florida, but Rose now lives in the Bahamas. He practiced unsupervised during the three months at home and was happy with the progress he made.
“I spent the past three months working on my game at home,” Rose said. “I made a lot of progress and wanted to keep that momentum going when I returned to competition in Fort Worth. I felt it was a good time to take complete ownership of my swing and game. That idea is something Sean has always wanted for me."