Rose Reflects on Missed Opportunity as Scheffler and Hatton Finish Strongly

Justin Rose expressed disappointment at letting a chance slip away as he once again fell short of Masters glory at Augusta National. The three-time runner-up had led by two shots at one point in the final round after carding his fourth birdie in five holes at the ninth. However, the 45-year-old Englishman's momentum was halted by consecutive bogeys at the 11th and 12th, and he failed to capitalize on a superb second shot into the 13th, three-putting for par. This allowed Rory McIlroy to overtake Rose, who was unable to regain the lead, signing for a two-under 70 to finish in a four-way tie for third on 10 under, two behind McIlroy. Rose stated, "I was really in control... The mentality was to run through the finish line, not just try and get it done. I was playing great, but momentum shifted for me around Amen Corner." Despite the two bogeys, Rose felt that his par at the 13th ultimately cost him his first Masters success. He praised the patrons at Augusta National, saying, "The crowd was amazing to me all week long... They pulled for me all week long. I felt their encouragement and support." Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 and 2024 winner, claimed second place behind McIlroy on 11 under, coming close to snatching victory from 12 shots behind going into the weekend. Scheffler 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. Tyrrell Hatton threatened to pull off a shock victory with a tremendous run on the back nine, emerging from the pack with an eagle two at the par-four seventh. Four successive birdies from the 13th saw him surge 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. Hatton expressed happiness with his round, stating, "I'm really happy with the round that I put together in the end... Happy that I've kind of guaranteed a spot here for next year." The PGA Tour heads to South Carolina for the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island, where Justin Thomas returns as defending champion.