JUSTIN Rose will be going to the Rio Olympics along with Danny Willett as part of Team GB, this was confirmed at a press conference at Royal Troon ahead of this weeks Open Championship there.

Golf is back in the Olympics for the first time since 1904 and he will be in action at Brazil from August 11 to 14 in a 72-hole stroke play event.

Rose is really looking forward to representing GB and said: “I’m excited about it and treating it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Just being a part of Team GB in a sense you feel like you’re part of something bigger than just your individual sport so it’s going to be a fun occasion. I’ve never been to an Olympic Games in any capacity, to go as an athlete is a huge honour.”

However, before the 35-year-old can focus on the Olympics, there is the little matter of the Open which starts today.

The former US Open winner will start his quest to win a second major at 9.03am tomorrow morning alongside American Jordan Spieth and Ireland’s Shane Lowry. Their second round on Friday starts at 2.04pm.

Rose flew straight to Royal Troon after finishing 46th in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron and has spent nine days practising in Ayrshire.

This paid dividends when he won the US Open and Rose said: “I thought coming straight to Troon with a little less distraction was going to be a good plan for me and set me up well for the week.”

The former Robert May’s School pupil made an immediate impact on the Open when he finished fourth as a 17-year-old amateur at Royal Birkdale in 1998, but until last year’s share of sixth place at St Andrews, he had not recorded another top-10 finish in 12 attempts.