By Frank Pingue
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – In a perfect world for Justin Rose, he would have slipped into a Green Jacket long ago, but the Englishman said on Friday, after grabbing the halfway lead at the Masters, that winning one in the twilight of his career would be even sweeter.
The 44-year-old Rose has not triumphed in a major since earning his first at the 2013 U.S. Open and has finished runner-up twice at Augusta National, including a playoff loss to Sergio Garcia at the 2017 Masters.
“Beggars can’t be choosers, you know. But I would take it right now for sure,” Rose said after a one-under-par 71 that left him at eight under on the week and one shot clear of Bryson DeChambeau.
“Sometimes if it happens too early in your career, you’ve got a lot to live up to. I think if it happens now, I would enjoy it, I think, probably a lot more. You know, come a bit more as a gift towards the end of your career.”
Rose was hardly on anyone’s radar ahead of the year’s first major, but he never doubted his ability and chances after having been in contention at some of golf’s blue-riband events in 2024.
Rose earned a share of sixth place at last year’s PGA Championship and went on to finish joint second at the British Open after playing his way into the field through qualifying.
While the hunt for a second career major goes on, Rose said he feels other career accomplishments during that stretch has made it not feel like such a long wait.
Since winning his one major, Rose won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics golf tournament, reached number one in the world ranking and claimed the season-long race for the 2018 FedExCup trophy and $10 million bonus.
“I think really big milestone moments in my career have happened in that 12 years, which distracts you from the fact that you haven’t won a major in that period,” said Rose.
“Yeah, 12 years slips by pretty quick. But like I said, it doesn’t necessarily feel like – I haven’t been dwelling on that fact at all, really.”
To end his wait for a second major, Rose will have to fend off a high-profile pack of pursuers that, in addition to LIV Golf’s DeChambeau, includes Rory McIlroy two shots back in a share of third and Scottie Scheffler a further shot back.
But Rose would not have it any other way.
“That’s the company that I expect to keep, and that’s where I have tried to be my whole career,” said Rose. “That’s where I’ve been for a lot of my career. So I’ve been a top-10 player in the world for a decade or more.
“So yeah, this is nice to, obviously, yeah, be back in that mix, a hundred percent.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Augusta, Georgia; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
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