Justin Rose on brink of beating Sir Nick Faldo's PGA Tour titles record

Justin Rose is not only looking to become the world number one for the first time in his career at The Memorial this week, but also replace Sir Nick Faldo as the Englishman with the most PGA Tour titles to his name.

Rose sealed his ninth career PGA Tour title with a commanding three-stroke victory at the Fort Worth Invitational on Sunday, pulling level with Faldo who won nine times on the PGA Tour between 1984 and 1997. 

The South African born Englishman, 37, is now up to third in the world rankings and victory at Jack Nicklaus' tournament this week could see him pass Justin Thomas as world number one - the American who is competing in his first week in the top spot after recently edging ahead of Dustin Johnson at The Players Championship. 

Should Rose manage to reach the world number one spot, he would become the fourth Englishman to do so (joining Faldo, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald) since records began. 

Yet despite his stellar performance where he shot 20-under par for 72 holes at Colonial last week, Rose believes he's not even reached fifth gear.

"The win is definitely something to build on," said Rose after landing a fourth title in his last 15 starts around the world. "But I still feel like there is an upside. There is more work to be done."

Even Faldo himself would echo those sentiments.

“Justin is operating at an extremely high level at the moment," Faldo said from the commentary box on Sunday. "He could actually be peaking."

In the eyes of Faldo, his compatriot Rose does everything well, but it's the iron play that stands out most. 

"You have so many stats in this game, but the real bottom line is proximity to the hole," added Faldo. "Justin works hard on the science of the game to give him a feel he can trust because the numbers stack up. That was my style as well."

One record that could possibly remain in tact for Faldo is majors by an Englishman given Faldo notched six (three at The Masters and three at The Open), with Rose still currently locked on one (2013 US Open). 

At 37, Rose is four years older than anyone else in the top 10 and more than eight years older than the average - and when you consider he burst onto the scene as a fresh-faced 17-year-old when holing out for birdie at the final hole of the 1998 Open at Birkdale en route to a fourth place, the Englishman has plenty of miles in the tank. 

“You have so many stats in this game, but the real bottom line is proximity to the hole,” Faldo said. “Justin works hard on the science of the game to give him a feel he can trust because the numbers stack up. That was my style, as well.”

Rose has recently added Phil Kenyon (putting coach) to a team that has remained unchanged for many years, none more so than his caddie of 10 years, Marc Fulcher, and his swing coach Sean Foley of nine years. 

Foley, who has most famously worked with Tiger Woods in the past, believes Rose is now reaping the rewards for all his hard work and dedication to the game both on an off the course over the years. 

"From how he eats, to how he trains, to how he breaks down a course, he has a very thoughtful approach to maximising his probability for success," said Foley.

"Sometimes people are afraid to change what they do or how they do it. But his lack of satisfaction has really pushed us to look under every rock. And he will continue the search until he is fulfilled."

It's been every golf journalist's favourite headline to use for Rose down the years, but should he cement his place at the top of world order then Rose really will have bloomed how we all expected.