HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — The farther Justin Rose drove from Augusta Nationwide solely made him understand how shut he got here to profitable the Masters.
His telephone stored buzzing on the best way to Hilton Head Island, one textual content after one other, all of them with the identical message that applauded his outstanding rally and provided commiseration and condolences for his runner-up finish to Rory McIlroy.
Rose began the ultimate spherical seven pictures out of the lead, too far again to consider profitable. He made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 66. He was in a sudden-death playoff. He misplaced on an ideal shot by McIlroy, who hit hole wedge to three ft for birdie.
It was loads to course of.
“Plenty of outpouring from folks with a variety of optimistic feedback coming at me, so attempting to soak up that, attempting to soak up the week,” Rose stated Wednesday on the RBC Heritage. “However on the similar time, taking a look at my telephone and simply wishing there was a unique message there.”
This can be a path he is aware of nicely.
Rose had a two-shot lead with six holes to play within the 2017 Masters when Sergio Garcia — like McIlroy, a superb pal — made a most unbelievable rally to power a playoff and beat Rose on the primary additional gap.
Rose was elegant in defeat that day in 2017. He lovingly patted Garcia’s cheek, they embraced, after which Rose tapped Garcia on the center. He knew what it meant for a gifted Spaniard who had performed 70 majors earlier than profitable.
He was equally gracious on Sunday, telling McIlroy when it was over he was joyful to witness such a momentous event of the career Grand Slam.
It nonetheless hurts.
He looked for the correct phrases. Rose was pleased with how he performed to match the low rating of the ultimate spherical with a 66. In a kind of must-make moments in a significant, he poured in a birdie on the final gap. There was loads that went proper. However there was no inexperienced jacket.
“Simply kind of … do not know what the correct phrase is,” he stated. “Tormented, most likely, by the considered what might need been.”
He joined Ben Hogan as the one participant to lose a playoff twice on the Masters, and it might need stung worse for Rose as a result of each his losses had been in sudden-death. He now has had a minimum of a share of the lead after 12 rounds on the Masters, fourth on the listing behind Jack Nicklaus (19), Arnold Palmer (18) and Gary Player (12), who’ve mixed to win 13 inexperienced jackets.
He has 23 wins worldwide, together with a significant on the U.S. Open and an Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. He additionally has the excellence of congratulating a Masters champion on the 18th inexperienced thrice within the final 10 years — Jordan Spieth in 2015, Garcia in 2017, McIlroy on Sunday.
The final time he misplaced the Masters in a playoff, Rose stated it lingered for a couple of month. Certain, he made a number of bogeys he’d prefer to have again from the ultimate spherical Sunday. That is true for anybody at any golf event. There’s nonetheless the sting of seeing another person win.
Rose would relatively look again to what adopted after that 2017 loss. He went on to win three extra instances that yr, together with his second World Golf Championships title. He received the FedEx Cup the next yr and rose to No. 1 on the earth for the primary time.
“If I look again to my greatest golf, 2017 August by to the tip of ’18 might be essentially the most constantly good golf that I’ve ever performed,” Rose stated. “Clearly, I used to be a bit of bit extra within the prime of my profession round that point, or you might argue extra prime.”
Rose, who turned professional as a youngster in 1998, will likely be 45 on the finish of July.
“However I do not see any cause why that may’t be the identical this time round,” Rose stated. “I am working nicely. I am working arduous. I am feeling good about my sport. I have been saying all yr that my sport is sweet. I’ve simply acquired to be sure that I am enjoying constantly nicely sufficient to present myself these alternatives, as a result of majors come round … solely 4 instances a yr.”
Rose can not help however suppose how little it could take for him to be going to the PGA Championship subsequent month at Quail Hole with a shot on the profession Grand Slam himself — briefly tied for the Sunday lead at Royal Troon, a playoff loss on the Masters.
“The final two majors I have been proper there and been crushed by the highest gamers on the earth on the peak of their sport,” he stated.
What retains him going at this stage? He may have accomplished his twenty eighth yr as a professional in July.
It is moments like Sunday, being within the thick of it, delivering clutch moments. There was the birdie putt on the 18th at Augusta. There was that 8-foot putt on the 18th gap on the Ryder Cup in 2023 that earned a key halve. There was that stroll up the 18th at Royal Troon final summer time with hundreds on their ft exhibiting appreciation.
“I am near type of some critically good things,” Rose stated.
