Justin Rose is haunted by the near-misses. For the second time in his career, the 44-year-old Englishman fell in a Masters playoff, this time to Rory McIlroy on Sunday at Augusta National, marking his second runner-up finish in the tournament’s sudden-death format and tying a record with Ben Hogan as the only players to lose multiple Masters playoffs.
Rose, who also lost to Sergio Garcia in 2017, described the latest defeat as “tormenting” while speaking Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.
“The last two majors I’ve been right there and been beaten by the top players in the world at the peak of their game,” Rose said, reflecting on his runner-up finish to Xander Schauffele at the 2024 Open Championship and now the Masters. “It hurts.”
Despite the pain, Rose showed characteristic grace. After McIlroy sank a 3-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to clinch the green jacket and complete the career Grand Slam, Rose was among the first to embrace him.
“I told him, ‘Listen, I was glad I was here on this green to witness you win the career Grand Slam,’” Rose said. “It’s a momentous occasion for the game of golf.”
Sunday’s final round saw Rose mount a stunning charge, erasing a seven-shot deficit with a 6-under 66, fueled by 10 birdies, one shy of the Masters single-round record. His 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th forced the playoff, a moment he called “the kind of putt you dream about as a kid.” But in the playoff, Rose’s approach shot landed 15 feet from the pin, and his birdie attempt slid past, leaving McIlroy to seal the victory.
The loss echoed 2017, when Rose held a two-shot lead with six holes to play, only for Garcia to rally and win on the first playoff hole. That defeat lingered for a month, Rose said, but he channeled it into a career resurgence, reaching world No. 1 in 2018. Now, he hopes to do the same.
“What do you choose to dwell on?” Rose said. “There’s no point in being too despondent. You look at the good stuff that got me into this situation.”
Rose’s Augusta history is bittersweet. He has led after more Masters rounds than any player without a victory, with nine such instances, and his three runner-up finishes trail only Tom Weiskopf’s four. His 14 top-10 major finishes since 2014 are the most of any player without a win in that span.
Yet, the 2013 U.S. Open champion and 2016 Olympic gold medalist remains optimistic.
“I’m playing some of the finest golf of my career,” he said, eyeing next month’s PGA Championship, where he has four top-10s in the past five years. His form also bolsters his case for a seventh Ryder Cup appearance in September.
Rose’s phone buzzed with messages of support as he drove from Augusta to Hilton Head, a reminder of the respect he commands.
“It’s moments like Sunday, delivering clutch moments, that you live for,” he said. “The hard work is totally worth it.”
For now, though, the sting of another Masters heartbreak lingers.
“One day, I won’t be competing this way at this tournament,” Rose said. “So, for now, I’ll keep trying.”
