Justin Rose Hoping for Another ‘Special’ Sunday With Chance to Finally Win Masters

It was a year ago that Justin Rose made an emphatic Sunday run in Augusta before falling to Rory McIlroy in a playoff. He has an easier path to a redemption win this year.

Justin Rose has his sights set on a green jacket after his pursuit ended in heartbreak a year ago. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

AUGUSTA — It could be a redemption story for the ages. 

It was a year ago when Justin Rose thought he fumbled his chances at a green jacket after the third round in Augusta. He lost over five strokes on the greens and felt he turned “a 69 to a 75.” So he started the final round seven strokes back of Rory McIlroy’s lead. 

Then, he found some Sunday magic, firing an emphatic final-round 66. That would be enough to force a playoff with McIlroy, where alas Rose would fall short, putting the Englishman alongside Ben Hogan as the second player to suffer multiple playoff defeats at the Masters (Rose lost to Sergio Garcia in 2017). 

Now, a year later, Rose hopes for déjà vu—with a different ending. 

And he might have an easier path to achieving that. 

The 45-year-old, following a third-round 69, is at 8 under and sits three strokes back of co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Cam Young. 

Still, there are five players ahead of Rose on the leaderboard, and five within two strokes behind him. 

“Obviously, there’s more guys to contend with now,” said Rose, who has won twice on the PGA Tour since the 2025 Masters. “You have Cam Young; he’s playing great golf. Sam Burns [in third place at 10 under] obviously played in the last group and stood up and played really, really well. Shane Lowry [at 9 under]; I think he’s a great shotmaker for this golf course.

“There’s a few guys to get through, which is often a lot harder. If it was one guy five ahead, it’s almost an easier thing to contend with, because there’s a bit more help. The whole field is not going to help you out, put it that way.”

Rose, however, has become a fan favorite in Augusta. When he walked out to the first tee, he arguably got the biggest ovation aside from McIlroy. And when he hits one close, the sound reverberates through the pines. 

The 2013 U.S. Open champion has noticed that the support he’s received from the patrons has increased, but that’s not necessarily beneficial. 

“People have been pulling for me this week,” he said. “That’s a double-edged sword. If you get going with that momentum, it can really, really help. If your game is not quite living up to their hopes for you, it can kind of feel frustrating at times.

“So I’m happy that I’ve been able to play well and feed off it, and I’m very grateful for the support. “Obviously, should I kind of get going tomorrow, that would be a lot of fun to play in that environment.”

This all feels very similar to last year. And that’s fine with Rose. Who wouldn’t want to continuously put themselves into contention entering the final round of a major? And all of his heartbreaks at Augusta National can only make a victory on these storied greens that much more meaningful.  

Rose still thinks he can join golf's most exclusive club

Beyond that, he even believes winning the career Grand Slam is obtainable. 

“I feel like I come at it from a point where I’ve achieved a lot in the game,” the world’s ninth-ranked player said. “I feel like—I can call myself a major champion, which is nice, but my ultimate goal is to win all four.

“If I look at where I finished in seconds in all the other ones, it’s not unrealistic to think it’s doable. Obviously, I’m leaving it late, but that would be the ultimate goal for sure.”

First, though, a green jacket is at stake tomorrow. And perhaps he can get the ultimate revenge against McIlroy, who’s a close friend and longtime Ryder Cup teammate. 

This has the vibes of 2025. But Rose will try to rewrite the sequel’s grand finale into a redemption story. 

“It's going to take a special round tomorrow, so there’s a chance, which is great,” Rose said. “I’m going to try to channel a bit of last year and see what happens.”