HE MAY have been out of form so far this year, but Justin Rose is hoping that a trip to Augusta to play in the Masters will be the pick-me-up he needs heading into the summer.

The opening major tournament of the year, which is seen as heralding the start of the season proper, gets under way in Georgia later today, with Hook’s Rose looking for a change in fortunes.

It’s been a frustrating start to 2015 for the 34-year-old, who has missed the cut at three of the five tournaments he has participated in on the American PGA Tour since the turn of the year.

Encouragingly, his best result of the year to date came at last weekend’s Shell Houston Open, where he claimed a share of 37th place.

It’s not a result that the 2013 US Open Champion is likely to boast about, but there were signs that Rose is getting back to his best.

He was in contention after opening rounds of 69 (-3) and 68 (-4), his first sub-70 scores of the year in America. He fell away a little over the weekend with two level par rounds of 72, but the former Robert May’s School pupil would have finished in a tie for 11th had he made par at his final hole.

Instead, he found the water with his tee shot on the way to a treble-bogey seven.

Rose said: “It was certainly a welcome return to the 60s. Over the past two weeks, I’ve done some good work and I feel like I’m going in the right direction again.

“The Masters has probably been less on my mind this year because I am trying to find some form, but I think the fact that I’ve had a number of great rounds there will always stand me in good stead.

“I feel comfortable on that course and know I can manage my game, even if it’s not 100 per cent. You draw off the energy of the place.”

There will certainly be plenty of energy in Rose’s group over the course of the first two rounds, the north Hampshire man having been paired with defending champion Bubba Watson and young Korean Gunn Yang, the US Amateur champion. The trio will begin their assault on Augusta at 9.24am (2.24pm BST) today, with their second round beginning at 12.42pm (5.42pm BST) tomorrow.

Rose has a good record at the Masters. He has never missed the cut in nine appearances at Augusta and been in contention several times, finishing in the top 10 twice and the top 20 on four occasions.

He has even more motivation to perform well at the opening major of the year, having dropped out of the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time in several years.

“I’m very proud of the fact I’ve been in the world’s top five for practically the whole of the last three years,” Rose added. “It’s a nice ego thing, so by the end of the year, I’m hoping there won’t be any more slippage.

“Typically, your good years are built around four or five really good weeks, so you have to stay patient.”