Masters 2019: Justin Rose ready to elevate standing and finally grab Green Jacket at ‘dreamlike’ Augusta
After near misses in 2015 and 2017, the world No 1 feels he finally belongs among the azaleas
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Your support makes all the difference.Justin Rose turns the page in on Thursday at Augusta of what has already been an extraordinary career.
Firmly established as a modern great, yet many are unaware of just how special Rose is due to his unassuming nature. The 38-year-old will begin The Masters, the year’s first major, as the world No 1, a feat established with a meticulous approach in recent years that has ground down his opponents.
Rose has already secured himself copious amounts of cash (ranking sixth in the all-time money list), legendary Ryder Cup status and that elusive major after triumphing back in 2013 at the US Open. Yet, entering 2019, Rose threatened to disrupt a flawless, methodical approach, discarding his trusted TaylorMade clubs for the flashy, premium Japanese manufacturer Honma.
The move is evidence of Rose’s relentless pursuit of incremental improvements, culminating, he hopes, in “more majors” and “trying to chase down as many as I can.”
Unlike some of his trendier rivals, Rose can lean on his experience and his rarely-flustered demeanour to draw him into contention this week. Having accumulated a perfect record of making the cut in his 13 trips so far to this idyllic corner of Georgia, Rose has an enviable comfort among the azaleas. Five top 10 finishes, including tied-second in 2015 and second in 2017, where Sergio Garcia edged him in a play-off, confirm he is a man that belongs and is not merely revelling at the prestige of this week’s invitation.
“I used to arrive at Augusta and just used to enjoy the experience,” said Rose. “I used to kind of feel like it was a treat to be there, it was a bit of a dream to be there.
“And I used to walk around just trying to take it all in. Arrive on site, walk out to the back of the clubhouse and just look, just look at what was there in front of me and just be, wow, I’m kind of living this dream that I had as a kid.
“It was the one tournament that makes you feel that way, or makes me feel that way. But then in recent years I’ve almost had a slightly surreal out-of-body experience, like turning up knowing that I’m one of the players to beat and to contend there.
“That’s been something I’ve had to get comfortable with, knowing that this tournament has always been kind of dreamlike, but now actually it’s more of a reality and putting myself in a position where I know that I need to put my mindset in the right place to go out and challenge to win it.”
Rose will candidly concede his potential should see him end his playing days with more than the solitary major currently in his possession. Rose is seldom agitated on the course, a precious quality in the heat of battle on the back nine on Sunday, where mistakes are magnified and polished players crumble at Amen Corner. Part of his composure comes from his comrade and caddie Mark Fulcher, who has incredibly recovered from heart surgery in just three months to carry the bag this week and aid Rose’s quest.
Rather than frittering away his time, Rose has mostly been surpassed by a colleague snatching their moment, which is why he has revelled in the long game to surpass the competition and seize the throne in the world rankings.
Acutely aware of the necessity to now peak four times per year in this exciting new chapter, Rose could conceivably manoeuvre himself into the conversation as one of the greats of his generation, with, he says, a slice of luck all that has been missing in years before.
“I’ve come second twice and I’ve played golf capable of winning the Masters on both of those occasions,” Rose adds. “I wasn’t really back-dooring my way into a second place, I was right there playing great golf against guys playing their best golf.
“So I don’t feel like I need to do a lot different to have chances to win the Masters. Just keep doing what I’ve been doing there and hopefully the door will open. I’ll get my break at the right time on a Sunday afternoon and hit the right shot at the right time.
“All the other major championship venues rotate around, so winning the Masters gives you the opportunity for many years to walk down memory lane and be a significant part of that club.”
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