Masters 2026: Justin Rose has unfinished business at Augusta National (and with Rory)

AUGUSTA, Ga. — For many years now, few professional golfers have done—and do—as much right as Justin Rose.

Few have come on the scene as spectacularly as the 18-year-old amateur who holed out from 50 yards on the 72nd hole of the 1998 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale to finish in a tie for fourth.

And while few have then debuted as a professional as miserably as Rose’s very public missing of 21 straight cuts, the debacle led to a painstaking recovery of confidence that evolved into one of the greatest career turnarounds the modern game has ever seen. Since 2010, Rose has won 13 PGA Tour victories, a major championship and an Olympic Gold medal, putting him on cusp of induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

And now, finally, few have aged as well as the still blooming Rose.

On Friday, the 45-year-old Englishman shot a four-under 68 to once again put himself on the leaderboard at the Masters with a score of five-under-par 138. Although he’s a distant seven behind the leader, Rory McIlroy, he’s just a a stroke behind Patrick Reed and Sam Burns in a share of fourth.

Of course, it was McIlroy who bested Rose with a birdie on the first hole of sudden death at last year’s Masters, marking the second time Rose had lost at Augusta National in a playoff and the third time he had finished second.

Rose had led that tournament by one after 36 holes, but after a 38-putt 75 on Saturday, he’d trailed McIlroy by, yes, seven shots. Then on Sunday, Rose shot a 66, capped by a rammed-home 20-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole to nearly pull off a miracle win. This year he has two rounds to make up that same margin.

Masters 2026

J.D. Cuban

Rose’s only reward from the 2025 tournament was a collective thank you from all the fans who wanted to see McIlroy finally win the career Grand Slam. But that lack of sympathy, from mortals and possibly also the golf gods, does not haunt Rose.

He made that clear early in the week, telling the media on Monday that he isn’t haunted or feels feel the Masters owes him anything.

“I’m very aware that I’ve had tough, tough losses here,” he said. “I also am aware that I enjoy this place.

“I don’t feel like I have to find something in myself to kind of do something different. I truly believe that. If you’re going to be willing to win them, you’ve got to be willing to kind of be on the wrong side of it as well.”

Rose’s round on Friday was highlighted by three straight birdies on ninth, 10th and 11th holes, a daunting stretch of par 4s more demanding against par than the famed triumvirate that makes up Amen Corner.

With a driver clubhead speed of 117.7 mph (right at the PGA Tour average), Rose was pumping out drives in excess of 300 yards on the dry and fast Augusta National fairways that left him approaches of 9-iron, 9-iron and 7-iron on his birdie run.

Rose bemoaned missing several putts inside 10 feet, especially an uphill right-to-left four footer for birdie on the 14th—that he described as “It’s like ugh.” There’s no doubt, though, Rose’s length off the tee is another indicator that he remains able to retain level remarkably close to that which won him the U.S. Open in 2013 and got him to World No. 1 for a total of 13 weeks beginning in 2018.

Long respected for having a well-rounded skill set, Rose was asked after his second round if there are any parts of his game that he has gotten better at in his 40s.

“Am I better than World No. 1 me? I don’t know,” he said. “I feel I’m holding steady in some areas for sure. I feel good where I’m at. That’s all I know. I feel I can still chip away at certain things. I’ve still got tons of improvement. I feel like the bit that keeps me going is I do believe that next week I can be better than this week. Whether I am or not, who knows.”

If he wins on Sunday, he’ll have a better idea.

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