AUGUSTA, Ga. – Justin Rose begins his walk to the back of the 17th green at Augusta National. Then he looks up.
Looking back here would feel like he was looking directly into the sunset behind him. Seconds ago, a faint Masters the chance faded after a 3-footer for par slid down the right side of the hole, leaving him three shots behind the eventual winner Rory McIlroy and leaving him wondering what the hell happened. His Sunday afternoon at Augusta National had started with such hope. He birdied 5. Then 7. Then 8. Then 9. He led by two with just nine to go.
It certainly wouldn’t end the way it did at the 2015 Masters, when Jordan Spieth stormed Augusta and Rose finished runner-up; or the 2017 Masters, when Rose lost in a playoff to Sergio Garcia; or last yearwhen Rose fell again in a playoff, this time to McIlroy. Always second. Never a green jacket.
“Yeah, again, I feel like if there was anybody who deserved a green jacket,” said pro Tyrrell Hatton, “it would probably be Rosey. …
“Looks like he’s coming back a short hair.”
Three fouls through Amen Corner’s three holes made it in. On the par-4 11th, from the center of the fairway and 192 yards, Rose’s second shot sailed 40 yards to the right of the green, he was disappointed and fell to a share of the lead. There, he said, he got too many sticks and the wind confused him. One hole later, on the par-3 12th, Rose chipped a chip from above the green, he was disappointed again and he was out of the lead. There, a pine tree near the ball disturbed him. “It made me try to chip in a little bit of a different way because I had to use the toe of the club and hit a little chip,” Rose said. “That wasn’t ideal at the time either.” Then, on the par-5 13th, he was 30 feet from the cup in two shots following an audacious iron from the left side of the fairway, just three shots away and par. There, he said he was too aggressive with his first putt – it went 8 feet – and his deficit was now two after McIlroy birdied the 12th.
“I was in the right position,” Rose said.
Earlier in the afternoon, Rose had received the question of pro-another professional treatment given to the players on the eve of victory. The birdie run put him in that spot, which included his birdie on the 7th, where he chipped an iron from the pine stubble on the right side of the fairway to within a foot of the hole. pink is a well-respected professional, but a second English major would have moved him to another level. Friend Adam Scott, 45, called it intense and calculated. Max Homa said Rose inspired him.
“I think growing up, my muses were the Tigers and the Phils and those guys, Rory, Rickie, all the guys before me who were the best in the world,” Homa said. “Not to say they’re not, but I’ve definitely enjoyed watching guys like Adam Scott, Billy Horschel and Justin Rose more. Their work ethic is incredible and they’ve maintained such excellence for so long. I’ve really watched and admired a lot of what they’ve done, more so in the last couple of years, just watching them continue to do it.
“It’s tough. You’re tired and you’ve got a lot of scar tissue, but those three guys are amazing.”
After par 12, Rose never got within two shots of McIlroy. He made 15, but then came the 3-foot miss on 17. From there, he began his walk on the back 17th green at Augusta National.
Then he looked up.
To the left and right of the passage to the 18th group were several children.
Everyone took a punch – a lost lead and another missed Masters opportunity be damned.
How people will judge Roza will come soon, if not already. Will the book show that he finished second all those times, or didn’t he finish first? Of course, he’ll be back next year as well, and the vets have shown they can compete in the Masters; 40 years ago, Jack Nicklaus won at Augusta.
But perhaps customer reaction on Sunday the 18th might help answer the question now.
Rose heard cheers.
Afterwards, a reporter wondered why he thought so.
“I think people just know that I play hard,” Rose said. “I try hard, I was close.
“You know, yeah, I think they just appreciate the effort, I guess, yeah.”
;)
