JUSTIN ROSE insists he will stay on the European PGA Tour as long as the sponsors' invites come rolling in.

Pressure has seemingly grown on the Hampshire teenager to switch to the less demanding European Challenge Tour as the toll of missed cuts on the main tour grows.

They reached 19 when he missed out by four in the Benson and Hedges Open last week but Rose made it clear: "The European Tour is where I am and where I want to stay."

His critics would say Rose is out of his depth but it didn't look that way at The Oxfordshire where he played considerably better than he scored.

His driving in the first round of The Benson was straight and long and, on the second day when he began to lose line off the tee, Rose's recovery play from long grass and sand was quite superb. Two bunker shots were world class.

One came at the tenth where he achieved a 150-yard carry across the water with his left foot on the bank and his right in the sand.

And another 100-yard effort from the sand down the 14th fair-way finished up less than a foot from the hole.

He pitched and chipped well but paid a high price for two of just a few errant shots, one from the greenside bunker at the short second which cost him a double bogey in the second round, and an indifferent approach to the green at the par five 11th which skipped off a bank and into the water. He took a six when initially he was looking at a very makeable eagle three.

In such ways are cuts made or missed and Rose says: "My mind at The Benson was more on my golf than on making the cut and the consolation is that I am playing a lot better than I was a month ago.

"Round about the time I was trying to avoid my 11th cut, it just wasn't there. Now it's coming back. I'm not as disheartened as I was. The disappointing thing at the Benson was my putting. I didn't really hole anything. Things are com-ing together but I need to putt better.

"I have a new caddy in Mike Wareham who has been around a long time. He's been with five tournament winners and has caddied for people like Jack Nicklaus and Ken Brown. Mike's good for me. Double bogies are no big deal to him. He keeps cool and upbeat."

When Rose missed out at the The Oxfordshire, front-runner Colin Montgomerie said: "Thank god it never happened to me. I can't imagine what the kid is going through; I don't think any of us can. But we all hope he can reverse it soon."

Rose will get his next chance in the English Open at Hanbury Manor on June 3.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.