Rose Reflects on Missed Opportunity as Scheffler and Hatton Mount Strong Finishes

Justin Rose expressed his disappointment at missing out on yet another chance to claim Masters glory at Augusta National, describing it as a 'chance that slipped away'. Rose, a three-time runner-up, had briefly held a two-shot lead during the final round after securing his fourth birdie in five holes at the ninth, but his momentum was halted by consecutive bogeys at the 11th and 12th holes. The 45-year-old English golfer then failed to capitalize on an exceptional second shot into the 13th, three-putting for par, which allowed Rory McIlroy to overtake him. Rose eventually signed for a two-under 70, finishing in a four-way tie for third place on 10 under, two strokes behind McIlroy, who had beaten him in a playoff the previous year. 'I was in control, and my mindset was to push through to the finish, not just try to get it done,' Rose said. 'I was playing great, but the momentum shifted against me around Amen Corner. It was just a chance that got away, obviously. I wasn't in a clear position, and I was nowhere near having the job done, but I was right in the mix.' Despite the two bogeys, Rose believed that his par at the 13th ultimately cost him his elusive first Masters victory. Rose also praised the crowd at Augusta National, saying: 'The patrons were amazing to me all week. They supported me throughout, and I felt their encouragement. At the end, it was a bit flat, more of a sympathy than anything, but it was still beautiful.' Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 and 2024 winner, claimed second place behind McIlroy on 11 under, after coming close to snatching victory from 12 shots behind going into the weekend. The world No 1 followed up Saturday's flawless 65 with a bogey-free 68, achieving the remarkable feat of not dropping a shot all weekend at Augusta National. 'The first two days, I played what I felt was really solid on Thursday, and then Friday, with the softer greens, that round really hurt, especially the mistakes I made on the back nine,' Scheffler said. 'But overall, over the weekend, I put up a good fight and am proud of how I played. I did a lot of good things to give myself a chance, and ultimately, I came up short.' Tyrrell Hatton, at one point, threatened to pull off a surprise victory as he emerged from the pack with a remarkable run on the back nine. The 34-year-old Englishman, who plays on the LIV Golf circuit, started the day seven shots off the lead but began to make inroads with an eagle two at the par-four seventh. Four successive birdies from the 13th saw him surge further up the leaderboard, but he could only par the closing two holes to finish with a six-under 66 for a 10-under-par total of 278 and a share of third place. 'I'm really happy with the round I put together in the end,' Hatton said. 'Obviously, I had a nice run on the back nine, and I'm happy that I've kind of guaranteed a spot here for next year. To be honest, for most of the back nine, I just wanted to make birdies because my wife is due in six weeks, and I was thinking about how it would be cool to come back next year, and our little girl will be pretty much 11 months old.' The PGA Tour heads to South Carolina for the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island, where Justin Thomas returns as defending champion. Early coverage begins on Thursday from 12:30 pm on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage from 7 pm. The next men's major is the PGA Championship from May 14-17, held at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, also live on Sky Sports.