Hilton Head Island, SC – The greatest Justin Rose led to Augusta National only made him realize how close he was winning the masters.
His phone continued to buzz on the way to Hilton Head Island, a text message after another, all with the same message that applauded his remarkable rally and offered condolence and condolence for Its finalist ends Rory Mcilroy.
Rose began the final shots of the Ciedina of the city of leadership, too far back to think about winning. He made a 20 -foot putt Birdie on 18 for 66. He was in a sudden death playoff. He lost a great shot of Mcilroy, who hit Gap Wedge up to 3 feet for Birdie.
It was a lot to process.
“A lot of people with many positive comments that come to me, so trying to absorb that, trying to absorb the week,” Rose said Wednesday at RBC Heritage. “But at the same time, looking at my phone and just wishing that there was a different message there.”
This is a path that knows well.
Rose had a two -shooting advantage with six holes to play at the 2017 Masters when Sergio García, like Mcilroy, a good friend, made a very unlikely rally to force a playoff and Beat Rose on the first extra hole.
Rose was elegant in the defeat that day in 2017. He gave some palmaditas to Garcia’s cheek, hugged and then Rose hit Garcia in the heart. He knew what he meant for a talented Spanish who had played 70 students before winning.
He was also kind on Sunday, telling Mcilroy when he ended, he was happy to witness such a transcendental occasion of the Grand Slam race.
It still hurts.
He looked for the right words. Rose was proud of how she played to match the low score of the final round with a 66. In one of those essential work moments in a specialty, a birdie poured into the last hole. There were many things that went well. But there was no green jacket.
“Simply … I don’t know what the right word is,” he said. “Tormented, probably, for the idea of what it could have been.”
He joined Ben Hogan as the only player who lost a playoff twice in the masters, and could have put worse for Rose because both losses were in sudden death. Now he has had at least part of the advantage after 12 rounds in the Masters, room on the list behind Jack Nicklaus (19), Arnold Palmer (18) and Gary Player (12), who have combined to win 13 green jackets.
It has 23 victories worldwide, including a specialization in the US Open and an Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. He also has the distinction of congratulating a Master’s champion in Green’s 18 three times in the last 10 years: Jordan Spieth in 2015, García in 2017, Mcilroy on Sunday.
The last time he lost the masters in a playoff, Rose said he remained for approximately one month. Of course, he made some bogeys that he would like to have back from the final round on Sunday. That is true for anyone in any golf tournament. There is still the sting of seeing someone else win.
Rose would prefer to look back to what followed after that loss of 2017. Then he won three times more that year, including his titnd World World Championship title. He won the Fedex Cup the following year and went up to number 1 in the world for the first time.
“If I look behind my best golf, 2017 August until the end of ’18 is probably the most consistently good golf I have played,” Rose said. “Obviously, I was a little more at the best moment of my career at that time, or you could discuss more cousins.”
Rose, who became a professional when he was a teenager in 1998, will be 45 years old at the end of July.
“But I don’t see any reason why that cannot be the same this time,” he said. “I am working well. I am working hard. I feel good with my game. I have been saying all the year that my game is good. I have to make sure that I am constantly well playing well to give me those opportunities, because the students come … only four times a year.”
Rose can’t help thinking about how little he would take to go to the PGA championship next month in Quail Hollow with an opportunity in the Grand Slam race, Briefly tied for Sunday’s leadership in Royal TroonA defeat in the playoffs in the Masters.
“The last two specialties have been there and have been defeated by the best players in the world at the top of their game,” he said.
What keeps it at this stage? He will have completed his 28th year as a professional in July.
These are moments like Sunday, being in the heart, delivering moments of clutch. There was the Putt Birdie on August 18. There was that 8 -foot putt in hole 18 at the Ryder Cup in 2023 that won a key half. We had to walk on the 18th in Royal Troon last summer with thousands of feet showing appreciation.
“I’m close to some really good things,” Rose said.
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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
