Justin Rose admitted it was a “missed chance” as he missed out on Masters glory again at Augusta National.
The three-time runner-up made his fourth birdie in five holes on the ninth, and at one point took a two-shot lead in the final round.
However, the 45-year-old Briton suffered back-to-back bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes and was stranded near Amen Corner, before failing to capitalize on a brilliant second shot on the 13th and three-putting for par.
As a result, Rory McIlroy overtook Rose and was unable to regain the lead, signing a two-under 70 and finishing tied for third in a four-way tie at 10 under, two places behind the Northern Irishman who won in the play-off last year.
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Rose had five birdies in his first nine holes.
“I was really in control,” Rose said. “The mentality was to run across the goal line instead of just trying to get it done.We were playing great, but around the Amen Corner the momentum just changed.
“Obviously I had a chance. I was never free and clear and I was far from getting the job done, but I was in the right position.”
Despite two bogeys, Rose felt his par on the 13th ultimately cost him an elusive first Masters victory.
“Maybe after the two bogeys, that was the moment where I really settled down with four bogeys and was able to get right back on track,” he added.
“It felt like there was a lot of momentum going on. So that 3-putt was definitely bad timing.”
Rose also praised Augusta National’s patrons, adding: “The crowd was amazing to me all week. They pulled for me all week. I felt their encouragement and support. It flattened out a little bit at the end. It’s empathy more than anything.”
Rose thanks crowd at Augusta National’s 18th hole
“It was still very beautiful, but it also stung a little bit.”
Schaeffler: We fought well.
Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 and 2024 winner, finished second to McIlroy at 11 under par and came close to snatching victory from a 12-shot deficit heading into the weekend.
The world No. 1 followed up Saturday’s perfect 65 with a bogey-free 68, achieving the remarkable feat of not dropping a shot all weekend at Augusta National.
Scottie Scheffler takes off his cap after making par on the last hole
“I played what I felt was really solid the first two days on Thursday, then Friday on softer greens. That round really hurt, especially the mistakes I made on the back nine,” he said.
“But overall over the weekend I fought well and was proud of the way I played. I did a lot of good things to give myself a chance, but in the end I fell short.”
Hutton’s motive is to be a father.
Tyrrell Hatton broke away from the pack with an incredible run on the back nine and at one point threatened to pull off a shock victory.
The 34-year-old British player, who plays on the LIV golf circuit, started the seventh day off the lead, but began his advance with an eagle two on the par-4 seventh.
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Tyrrell Hatton holed out with an eagle from the 7th fairway in the final round of the Masters.
He made four consecutive birdies from the 13th hole to move up the rankings, but he could barely par the last two holes and finished with a 6-under 66, giving him a share of 3rd place with a total of 10-under 278.
“I’m really happy with the round that I put together in the end. Obviously I had a good run on the back nine. I’m happy that I’m kind of guaranteed a spot here next year,” he said.
“Honestly, most of the back nine I just wanted to make birdies. My wife is due in six weeks and I was thinking about how great it would be to come back next year, and my daughter is almost 11 months old.
Hatton plans to return to Augusta National next year after earning an invite.
“It would be great to see her in a boiler suit (at a par-3 tournament). Obviously all the other dads and their families would see how cute little kids look in boiler suits.”
“Yeah, it definitely motivated me to make a birdie and I was happy to do it. It was awesome.”
What’s next?
The PGA Tour heads to South Carolina for its newest signature event, the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island, with Justin Thomas returning as defending champion. Sky Sports Golf will have early coverage starting at 12.30pm on Thursday, ahead of full coverage from 7pm.
The next men’s major will be the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania from May 14th to 17th, which will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Get and stream Sky Sports without a contract.
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