​Champion golfer Justin Rose reunites with his East Preston coach who recovered from prostate cancer

Rose made his return to a tournament he won in 2002 and hosted in 2018 and finished joint fourth.

Earlier in the week the 2013 US Open champion, 2016 Olympic gold medallist and former world number one, met up with his former England youth coach Steve Rolley on the range, their first encounter for more than 20 years. Rolley, who also coached last year’s host Danny Willett, has made a successful recovery from prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer UK collected £110,000 after a successful week as charity partner of the Betfred British Masters, and before the tournament Rolley shared a poignant moment with Rose on the range as he reflected on a letter analysing his game from 1996.

Spotlighting his hook shot and grip, and his body shape during his through swing, Steve surmised ‘your long and short game techniques are very good’ very much in keeping with Rose’s stellar career.

Justin Rose burst to prominence 25 years ago this week, clinching a memorable joint fourth place finish at The Open as an amateur and will be in the field at Royal Liverpool next week.

“So much is still relevant to this day,” said Rose, who worked with Steve at Worthing golf club, as his late father watched on. He described wearing Prostate Cancer UK’s ‘Man of Men’ badge in support as ‘a pleasure and an honour’.

“I know it’s been a bit of a journey for you but thanks for all your help during the years.”

Steve, 70, said: “I have been so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with the outstanding England young players for more than 20 years and to see the success that so many of them have achieved is a great joy.

“Although Justin was obviously a good player and a good hitter as a young man my overriding memory is that he really stood out amongst his peers when he went on the course.

“There was a presence, an authority about him, a combination of confidence, determination and competitiveness that made him an extra special prospect.

“Those traits really showed when he first turned pro and missed so many cuts. Many players would have crumbled with that sort of a baptism in professional tournament golf, but Justin just worked hard and came through to have great success in his career.

“It was so great to meet him again and I’m so grateful to him for supporting the work of Prostate Cancer UK.”

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Back in early 2020, Steve was one of 5,000 people randomly chosen to take part in a trial called BARCODE1 funded by the Institute Of Cancer Research and led by Professor Rosalind Eeles at the Institute of Cancer Research.

He spat into a test tube and posted it back for analysis, after which he was summoned for further tests and he would be diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2021. He opted for surgery to remove it in November.

He’s since supported the work of Prostate Cancer UK, working with both Willett and Rose to raise awareness of the most common cancer in men.

He added: “My thought has always been that you need to be aware of the risk and if you are not aware of the risk you’ve got blinkers on; that’s silly. You need to be aware of the risks, it’s a fact it happens to a lot of men. You need to take ownership of it; be aware of your own body.

“From a prostate cancer point of view, golf is exactly the right audience to hit. Just look at the average age of memberships.

“I’m really keen to help spread the word about this disease. If I can talk at any golf events – and golfers do listen to golf pros – it would be a really good way to put that message across.”

Prostate Cancer UK chief executive Laura Kerby, said: “It was an unforgettable week at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo.

“From Matt Baldwin’s incredible life-changing hole-in-one, to players and personalities wearing our Man of Men badge and supporters flocking to the event village to take on our Long Putt Challenge, talking to our volunteers and perhaps having a portion of Faldo’s Fish and Chips, we’re proud to have been a big part of such an iconic event.

“Thanks so much to the DP World Tour, to Betfred, Sir Nick Faldo, Freeman’s Event Partners, Matt Baldwin, Justin Rose and all the players and staff at the Belfry, plus the brilliant fans who have supported us.

“Golf is so influential in raising the profile of prostate cancer - a disease which exists in every golf club, affecting one in eight men in the UK. Weeks like this, when we have raised over £110,000 will help us drive home that message further and fund vital research that will help us save and enrich the lives of men with prostate cancer.”

Find out more about how Prostate Cancer UK aim to beat prostate cancer in golf, including their Big Golf Race at https://prostatecanceruk.org/golf