JUSTIN ROSE had to fight for the right to stay in European golf carrying an agonising secret.

His father and coach, Ken, has leukaemia - and when Rose was on the Costa del Sol recently, trying to regain his tournament card, his dad was in hospital undergoing a second course of chemotherapy.

"Ken is responding to treatment and making progress," said his wife, Annie, "but he's staying in hospital so they can protect him against infection. It's the biggest risk to the recovery process but we hope he'll be home for Christmas."

Concern for his father could have destroyed Rose's chances of qualifying at Tour School last month, but the 20-year old Hampshire golfer said: "Thinking of dad drove me harder. I was even more determined to come out with a high card and I was happy with ninth place. I know it cheered him up a lot."

Annie Rose said: "Justin is very close to his dad. He's practising in Florida at the moment and phones him every day. He's very worried about him, but at the same time it's somehow given him extra strength out on the golf course. He wants to do well for his dad."

The bombshell of Ken Rose's illness first hit the Hook-based family late last summer, but Annie explained: "We kept it private to safeguard Justin.

"He knew that if word got out, Justin would be bombarded with questions by the media when he was trying to keep his card and all he wanted was for him to concentrate on his golf."

So his parents kept the news from their son until after the BMW International Open in Hamburg where he achieved his best-ever finish of 11th place.

"We told him when he got home and he was devastated," said Annie. "He went off to play in Switzerland the following week and just couldn't get into the right frame of mind for it.

"He went out and shot a 78 in the first round, then thought, hey, dad wouldn't want this. Next day he was really positive, played ten shots better and just missed the cut.

"Justin has got so much inner strength, it's unbelievable. Mentally he's very tough and to be successful as a golfer he'll need to be."

Rose peaked with fourth place as an amateur at the Royal Birkdale Open then troughed when he missed his first 20 cuts as a professional.

"That period turned into a nightmare and could have destroyed a few golfers," said Annie. "But Justin fought his way through it. And he's now dealing with this problem with his dad really well. They keep in constant touch which helps them both."

Rose is currently in winter training at head coach David Leadbetter's new Champions' Gate complex in Florida before beginning the new European season in South Africa in the New Year.