Justin Rose hopes his US Open triumph can inspire more English players to win major championships - but he also wants more of them for himself.
Until last year, Rose's best finish in a major championship had been a share of fourth place as a 17-year-old amateur in the Open Championship at Birkdale in 1998.
Technically he surpassed that when third in the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, although he was a distant nine shots behind runaway winner McIlroy and had contended more realistically on several occasions at the Masters.
Pinnacle
"This is the pinnacle of the game, winning major championships, and to win the US Open is in a way very fitting of how my game has been the last couple of years," Rose added.
He was inspired to victory by his good friend
Adam Scott who won at Augusta in April, a victory which came nine months after he squandered a four-shot lead with four holes to play in the Open.
"I prepared with Adam in the Bahamas the week before and we had a couple of games," Rose added. "I took his money both times and thought that's not fair that he went and won the tournament!
"But I consider him a great friend of mine. He sent me a text message after that which said 'This is our time to win these tournaments. We're 32, we have been around quite a while, we've paid our dues.'
"The other thing that I really learned from Adam was that I wasn't scared of the heartache of losing one. The way he handled himself at Lytham is something that he needs as much praise for as winning the Masters."
Rose also spared a thought for a heartbroken Phil Mickelson after his US Open victory inflicted more misery on the four-time major winner.
"This is definitely a tough defeat for Phil, I guess now six times second in the US Open," said Rose, who also beat Mickelson at Valhalla in 2008. "He's such a great guy to play golf with and to have for the tour.
"I love the way he plays the game. He plays fearless golf. He keeps everybody guessing, he's entertaining and I feel fortunate to have been able to beat a world-class player that he is.
"It was also on Father's Day (and) he really showed the true spirit of fatherhood being at home for his daughter's graduation earlier in the week and putting a tournament as his second priority and that's very admirable."
