After clinching the Scottish Open last year, Phil Mickelson went on to win his first Open Championship the following week at Muirfield, and Rose will be hoping to follow in the American's footsteps as he goes in search of a third consecutive tournament win and the chance to top the world rankings.

The 33-year-old has been in fine form recently, following up his win in the Quicken Loans National at Congressional Golf Club in Maryland at the end of June with a two-shot win at Royal Aberdeen on Sunday (July 13). 

Rose won his first major last year at the US Open in Merion, but he admits the Open Championship is the one tournament he would like to triumph in more than all the rest.

"As a youngster making the winning putt at The Open was what I have done a thousand times in practice," he said.

"I've won the Open thousands of times in my mind - it's the one I have dreamed about most.

"When you are chasing major Championships, then any one of them will do, but if you are lucky enough to win this one, I think it would be incredibly special.

"I have one [major] under my belt and that does take the pressure off.

"I can just go ahead and I have the confidence that winning brings to draw upon."

Scottish Open champion Rose says he has dreamed about sinking a winning putt in The Open Championship since he was a child ©Getty Images



Another man heading to Hoylake for the four-day event, due to start tomorrow, with confidence is Mickelson, who, despite not registering a top-10 finish on the Professional Golfers Association Tour this year, believes breaking his Open duck last year puts him in a good position to challenge again.

''I'm able to go there as a past champion, as opposed to a foreign player who has never been able to conquer links golf,'' said the six-time major winner.

''I just go there with a whole different confidence level.

''There's a fraction of the pressure that I felt before Open Championships from years prior, because once you've already won it, once you have held the Claret Jug and have won, it just feels different.

"You don't feel like you have to fight it.

"You don't have to force it.''

Defending champion Phil Mickelson is in confident mood heading to Royal Liverpool
©Getty Images



This week's tournament is the 143rd edition of golf's oldest major Championship and the 12th time it will be staged at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

American Tiger Woods won the Claret Jug the last time the event took place there in 2006 and the 14-time major winner will be making only his second appearance on a golf course since undergoing back surgery in March.

In his first outing since going under the knife, the 38-year-old missed the cut at Congressional but will still be considered a dangerous threat as he chases a fourth Open Championship win.

Woods' compatriot Bubba Watson and Germany's Martin Kaymer come into this week's event as reigning US Masters and US Open champions respectively, while world number one Adam Scott is chasing his first Open Championship win after finishing as runner-up in 2012 and third last year.

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