Justin Rose insists Augusta National “owes him absolutely nothing” as he seeks to avenge last year’s playoff heartbreak and a series of close losses at the Masters.
The former world No. 1 has already won this season’s PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open and has an impressive record at the Masters. He narrowly lost to Rory McIlroy, who placed third in the competition 12 months ago.
Rose finished tied for second as Jordan Spieth won his first major title at the 2015 event, and in 2017 he lost in a playoff to Sergio Garcia after leading the back nine by two strokes.
Rose is among those looking to challenge for a big win at the Masters.
He has registered 10 top-10 major tournament finishes since that disappointment, including a runner-up finish to Xander Schauffele at The Open in 2024 before losing in a playoff to McIlroy at The Masters the following April.
“I hope (nearly failing) strengthens my belief that I can keep doing it (winning the Masters),” Rose said. “I feel like I pretty much did what I needed to do to win. I just didn’t cross the line. I think I did a good enough job to do it.
“From that perspective, I don’t think I have to find something in myself to do something different. I truly believe that. I don’t think this place (Augusta National) owes me anything. I come here with a good attitude. I come here because this is a place I enjoy.”
Rose has seven top-10 finishes at the Masters, including seven runner-up finishes.
‘I gave everything’ – Rose missing McIlroy
Rose had a three-stroke lead after opening day of last year’s event and held a one-shot advantage heading into the weekend. He fell seven strokes behind after a third-round 75 before making a dramatic comeback Sunday.
“When you realize you’re that close, you can taste the victory,” Rose admitted. “You know what it would feel like if it were the other way around. I could tell what it felt like.
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Rory McIlroy and some of golf’s most familiar faces recall the moment he achieved his lifelong dream of winning the Masters and achieving a career Grand Slam.
“I can see the celebration. It all unfolded right in front of me. I lived as if I had won, but obviously there were no positive emotions that came with it, but I felt everything.
“To be honest, I think Saturday afternoon was a missed opportunity. Saturday was a day where I was frustrated and angry. I had a 40-putt or a 38-putt or something crazy like that. That was the day I really lost. And then I did a great job on Sunday. I left Sunday feeling like I gave it my all.”
Rose congratulated McIlroy after the Northern Irishman achieved a career grand slam in April.
If he wins this year, Rose, who turns 46 in July, will become the second-oldest Masters winner in history and a year younger than Jack Nicklaus, who won the last of his 18 major titles in 1986.
Rose claimed, “I don’t think about age on a day-to-day level.” “It’s great to see that the narrative around us is mostly more positive than negative.
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Sky Sports News reporter Jamie Weir is in Augusta for the countdown to the Masters. What are the chances for this year’s UK winner?
“There’s definitely motivation to keep going, keep pushing, find new habits and try to find new ways to get better. I realize that’s a pretty difficult ambition to get better at this stage of my career.
“I think there are still areas of my game that I can noticeably and easily improve without age affecting those areas of my game. I think I still really enjoy doing it and that’s the most important thing. If you enjoy it, you don’t feel old.”
Who will win the Masters? Watch this year’s opening major live exclusively on Sky Sports from 9 to 12 April. Live coverage of the first round begins on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm on Thursday. Access or stream Sky Sports with no contract
