One Year After Another Masters Heartbreak, Justin Rose Hopes for Redemption

The 45-year-old Englishman became the second player to fall short in multiple Masters playoffs when he lost to Rory McIlroy last year. But now, that's in Rose's rearview.

Justin Rose is looking ahead after falling to Rory McIlroy in a playoff at last year's Masters. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Last April in Augusta, Justin Rose walked off the 18th green in fading Georgia daylight in defeat. 

Again.

In 2017, he fell to Sergio Garcia in a sudden-death playoff. Last year Rose became the second player in Masters history to suffer two playoff losses, succumbing to Rory McIlroy’s career Grand Slam-clinching triumph. 

There were mixed emotions afterward, though. Rose and McIlroy, both European Ryder Cup stalwarts, are close friends. And Rose knew the enormity of McIlroy’s moment.

“When it’s all said and done, I said to (McIlroy), ‘Listen, I was glad I was here on this green to witness you win the career Grand Slam,’” Rose said in defeat. “That’s such a cool, momentous moment in the game of golf.”

But almost 365 days later, that heartbreak isn’t necessarily on his mind anymore. 

“I don’t think about it on a day-to-day level,” the 45-year-old Englishman said Monday. “Happy that the narrative around it is more positive than negative, for the most part.”

Unstandably so, he’s looking forward, believing he can still slip the elusive green jacket over his shoulders. 

In the past year, the former world No. 1 has had a career resurgence. Rose shot an electric final-round 66 at Augusta to get into a playoff against McIlroy. Then, he won in August at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, besting the reigning U.S. Open champion, J.J. Spaun in a playoff. And in January at Torrey Pines, he became the Farmers Insurance Open’s first wire-to-wire winner since 1955, routing the field by seven strokes while setting the tournament scoring record. 

Now, in his 21st start at Augusta National, his near-misses on these fabled greens only strengthen he belief he can win his second major title. 

“I hope it only boosts my belief that I can go ahead and do it,” said Rose, who has seven career top 10s at the Masters. “I feel like I’ve pretty much done what it takes to win. I just haven't kind of walked over the line. I feel like I've executed well enough to have done the job. From that point of view, I don’t feel like I have to find something in myself to kind of do something different. I truly believe that. No, I don’t feel like it owes me anything. I come here with a good sort of attitude. I come here with it's a place that I enjoy being.”

Justin Rose sets the Clubhouse lead with a Sunday 66. #themasters pic.twitter.com/YupKW0xHyp

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025

Since his triumph at Torrey Pines, Rose has had a bit of a feast or famine season. The world No. 9 missed the cut at the Genesis and Arnold Palmer invitational, but appeared to regain his form with a T13 at the Players Championship. 

He certainly has experience—and success—in Augusta, which he can use to his advantage. But each year is different. 

“I think sort of knowing your way around the golf course, you learn little bits, little nuggets here and there, and I’m always trying to learn,” he said. “It’s always subtle changes. They make subtle changes to the golf course, just by renewing and refreshing it, whether that be relaying or replanting a green. There’s always going to be subtle differences.”

Will this year’s course tweaks yield a bounce-back victory for Rose? Johnny Miller often said a player shouldn’t be judged by what he accomplishes, but what he overcomes. And Rose, who turned pro in 1998, has done plenty of both. 

“I kind of realized that even before I won a major,” said Rose, who has 27 professional victories. “I knew I was going to win some; I knew I was going to lose some. I kind of wanted to not get in my way too early, and I kind of realized when the opportunity presents myself to win a major, don’t make it too important in the moment. 

“Also, I kind of realized that you can’t skip through a career without a little bit of heartache and heartbreak, no chance. If you’re going to be willing to win them, you’ve got to be willing to kind of be on the wrong side of it as well.”

If there’s a silver lining from last year’s defeat, it’s that it could only sweeten putting on a green jacket this year. 

And all Rose can do is put his best foot forward. 

“The key is showing up,” he said. “The key is to try to be as free as you can in those moments. Yeah, you kind of have to hope a little bit along the way that it's your day. There’s definitely been—it could have been my day in a couple of major championships that I wouldn't have had to have done anything different really to be the winner as well. Hopefully, with that mindset, keep chipping away, my day might still happen where a little bit of something goes my way. 

“The point is you've got to put yourself there. That’s the hard part.”

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