Augusta (United States) (AFP) – Justin Rose shrugs off those who doubt he can win another major title at age 45 just as the Englishman sets aside the heartache of three runner-up Masters finishes. Rose, the 2013 US Open champion and 2016 Rio Olympics winner, took his 13th career PGA Tour title in February at Torrey Pines, becoming the first wire-to-wire winner there since 1955. That’s part of why he is confident he has what it takes to win this week at Augusta National after losing to Rory McIlroy in a historic 2025 Masters playoff.
“Feeling good about things,” Rose said. “I’ve clearly found my game. I’ve played very well. (Torrey Pines) is a good example of that, more evidence I’m still able to find my best, which is great to know.” Rose, a two-time British Open runner-up as well, also lost a playoff to Spain’s Sergio Garcia in 2017 and shared second behind Jordan Spieth at the 2015 Masters. He tries to keep the near misses in perspective.
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“I hope it only boosts my belief that I can go ahead and do it,” Rose said. “I feel like I’ve pretty much done what it takes to win. I just haven’t walked over the line. I feel like I’ve executed well enough to have done the job. I don’t feel like I have to find something in myself to do something different. I don’t feel like it owes me anything. I come here with a good sort of attitude. It’s a place that I enjoy being.”
As for age, Rose doesn’t focus on it as much as he does the work he must do to stay at his competitive best. “I don’t think about it on a day-to-day level,” Rose said. “Happy the narrative around it is more positive than negative, for the most part. Definitely there’s some motivation there to keep going, keep pushing, try to find new habits, new ways of trying to get better, realizing that’s a pretty difficult ambition at this stage of my career. Still feel like there’s areas of my game I can improve on significantly and easily without age being a factor. Still enjoying the work really and that’s the most important thing. When you enjoy it, you don’t feel your age.”
– ‘Key is showing up’ –
Rose, however, does make some allowances to Father Time when it comes to pacing on day one. “There was a tendency early in my career to try to be perfect for Thursday,” Rose said. “You need to be ready for Thursday, but you need to save your gas for Sunday as well. If you start great, you still need to finish strong, be able to finish it off.”
World number nine Rose, making his 21st Masters start, vows he will never think “Why me?” when it comes to defeat. “I’m very aware that I’ve been close here. I’m very aware I’ve had tough, tough losses here,” he said. “I also am aware that I enjoy this place. I don’t want to feel those three second-place finishes need to create a different sort of feeling for me.” He tries to accept what he cannot control.
“You can’t skip through a career without a little bit of heartache and heartbreak, no chance,” Rose said. “If you’re going to be willing to win them, you’ve got to be willing to be on the wrong side of it as well. The key is showing up. The key is to try to be as free as you can in those moments.”
© 2024 AFP
