HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA | The distance from Augusta National to Harbour Town Golf Links on the toe end of this shoe-shaped island is 146 miles, most of it South Carolina backcountry before Calibogue Sound comes shimmering into view.
Plenty of miles and plenty of time for Justin Rose to begin to process all that went into his playoff loss to Rory McIlroy in the Masters and his role in a Sunday that will be remembered for years.
Seven strokes behind when the final round began, Rose birdied the 18th hole on Sunday to cap a brilliant closing 66 that came with an enormous emotional rush, much of which was dulled by McIlroy’s winning birdie on the first extra hole.
Rose was a swing away, one arm figuratively in the green jacket only to wind up shaking the hand of the champion on the final green for a third time, as he did when he was paired with Jordan Spieth in 2015 and after his playoff loss to Sergio García in 2017.
There are only so many chances like that and, at age 44, Rose knows how precious those moments are. It’s why he’s still devoted to his craft and the hours in the gym and with a club in his hand, effectively fighting off what might be sundown for someone else.
“Certainly don’t feel down in any way, shape or form just because of the performance I was able to put in and how I was able to feel putting in that performance, but just sort of – don’t know what the right word is, tormented probably, by the thought of what might have been,” Rose said Wednesday in advance of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage tournament.
“Obviously just bouncing back and forth with those two emotions. But certainly I think no regrets. You can lose a golf tournament and there’s a million things that you think I should have done this differently. There’s not really much I can look back and gone, I should have done that differently on the day.
“It’s more just like wish it would have added up to a different result than wish I would have done things differently.”
“A lot of outpouring from people with a lot of positive comments coming at me, so trying to absorb that, trying to absorb the week, but at the same time looking at my phone and just wishing there was a different message there.” – Justin Rose
Rose might be inclined to rewrite how Saturday went when a third-round 75 pushed him down the leaderboard, but he was spectacular on Sunday, making 10 birdies in the round including six in his final eight holes as he rushed into contention and briefly held the outright lead near the end.
When McIlroy holed a 3-foot birdie putt to complete the career Grand Slam, Rose had the grace to appreciate the moment even in his own disappointment. He is still sorting through messages from friends and acquaintances.
“A lot of outpouring from people with a lot of positive comments coming at me, so trying to absorb that, trying to absorb the week, but at the same time looking at my phone and just wishing there was a different message there,” Rose said.
It was the 23rd top-10 finish in a major for Rose, who won the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion. It was also his fifth runner-up finish in a major, including his second in a row.
The Masters playoff loss to García in 2017 lingered with Rose for a month afterward. Within his disappointment, Rose also found incentive, understanding he could put himself in position to win more majors.
It hasn’t yet happened but Rose has given himself chances. After losing to García at Augusta National, Rose pushed forward and won the FedEx Cup the following year, ascending to No. 1 in the world ranking in the process.
“I don’t see any reason why that can’t be the same this time around,” Rose said. “I’m doing the right things to win.”
When Rose turned 30 in 2010, he looked at the next decade of his career and saw 40 major championship starts ahead. When the opportunity came, Rose wanted to be prepared to handle it rather than let the moment handle him.
That was the key to his victory at Merion and it freed him in a sense, eliminating the burden that comes with being a top-level player but without a major championship trophy.
Having a major championship victory is comforting but pro golfers tend to be prisoners of the moment.
“I take that loss pretty badly. (Monday) was tough. But had I not won a major, it would have been even more brutal, no doubt about it.
“But you do look at the majors each individually as Rory did. The Masters was elusive, even though he was a [four]-time major winner. That was the one that mattered.
“But listen, I was a stone’s throw away from winning the Open, winning the Masters. I would have been going for a [career] Grand Slam at the PGA. It’s like, it can be that close. I’ve got to believe that.”
“I’m still creating opportunities. You can’t skip throughout your career without a little heartache here and there. But I’ve had the luck go my way on occasion, as well.” – Justin Rose
Leaving Augusta behind isn’t as easy as heading southeast until Hilton Head Island comes into view. It helps that the RBC Heritage is a signature event with a field loaded with all of the PGA Tour’s top players minus McIlroy, who flew home to Northern Ireland to celebrate with his family.
Rose will head home to England after the Heritage for a two-week break but until then, he is intent on keeping his head where his feet are this week.
He is playing for trophies and moments these days. Moments like the putt he holed on Friday at the 2023 Ryder Cup with his teammates watching. Moments like the final round at Royal Troon last summer when he got beat by Xander Schauffele. Moments like last Sunday at Augusta National where McIlroy got the jacket but Rose got to feel how close he came.
“I’m still creating opportunities. You can’t skip throughout your career without a little heartache here and there. But I’ve had the luck go my way on occasion, as well,” Rose said.
“Hope that if I can keep doing what I’m doing, [I’ll] get that little bit of luck to get across the line again.”