Justin Rose Gains Confidence from Past Masters Near-Misses

Justin Rose is drawing motivation from his past near-misses at Augusta National as he seeks redemption for last year's playoff heartbreak and a string of close calls at The Masters. The former world number one has already secured a PGA Tour victory this season at the Farmers Insurance Open and boasts an impressive record at The Masters, including a narrow loss to Rory McIlroy last year, which marked his third runner-up finish at the event. Rose has registered 10 top-10 finishes in majors since his 2017 playoff loss to Sergio Garcia, including a runner-up finish to Xander Schauffele at The Open in 2024. He believes these near-misses will only boost his confidence, saying, 'I hope it only enhances my belief that I can go ahead and do it.' Rose feels he has executed well enough to win in the past and doesn't feel like he owes anything to Augusta National. He is focused on enjoying the experience and coming in with a good attitude. Rose reflected on last year's contest, where he held a three-shot lead after the opening day and a one-shot advantage heading into the weekend, only to fall behind after a third-round 75. He staged a dramatic Sunday comeback but ultimately fell short. Rose admitted that he could 'taste the victory' and knows what it would feel like to win. He is frustrated about the missed opportunity on Saturday, where he had 40 putts, but feels he gave it his all on Sunday. A win this year would make Rose the second-oldest winner of The Masters in history, just a year younger than Jack Nicklaus when he claimed his last major title in 1986. Rose, who turns 46 in July, doesn't think about his age on a day-to-day level and is motivated to keep pushing himself to find new ways to improve his game.