Veteran English golfer Justin Rose vaulted himself into contention with a historic opening round at the Masters on Thursday. He ended up closing with 65 to claim his impressive three-stroke margin of victory. At 44 years old, Rose is still hungry to build upon his Hall of Fame career. His accolades are many, but include winning the 2013 U.S. Open and being a former world number one. He shouldn’t need to play above his pay grade in this elite field to earn the necessary points. Most of all, he wants to win the biggest events.
In terms of playing golf, Rose’s performance on the course was nothing short of spectacular. He started the day with three straight birdies on his first three holes, giving himself the perfect start to his round. His momentum carried him like a freight train through the back nine. On the 16th hole, he continued to demonstrate his prowess by sinking a phenomenal long-range putt, earning himself his eighth birdie of the round.
A Record-Breaking Start
He has now held the lead or been tied for it after the first round at the Masters five times. This remarkable accomplishment adds to his much-honored consistency and terrifying moxie in high leverage situations. Though happy with his strong showing, Rose is already looking ahead.
“I’ve played well enough to win this tournament. I just feel like I don’t have the jacket to prove it,” – Justin Rose
The race continues to be tight, with Scottie Scheffler, Corey Conners, and form star Ludvig Aberg right behind him, three strokes back. As he continues deeper into the tournament, Rose sees intimidating opponents before him. Even with this knowledge, his bravado does not waver.
Ambitions for Career Fulfillment
As one of the more experienced competitors, Rose is focused on building on the success he has already achieved. He is nervous about making changes and openly discusses gaps in the resume—especially of major releases.
“My resume is nicely rounded out. There’s a few big glaring gaps. Obviously three major championships I haven’t won. Maybe a Players Championship as well,” – Justin Rose
Winning isn’t everything for his attention. It is about creating chances to build his legacy in golf.
“So there’s tons of opportunity to do things I haven’t done before, but the major headlines are kind of all in place for me,” – Justin Rose
Mason understood the significance of the moment. He’s going to enjoy every moment of it, as he looks for a heroic ending to his career.
Strategic Play on the Course
Rose’s meticulous strategy on the course has paid him enough dividends up to this point. He learned from the get-go that the opening pair of holes were great places to look for birdies.
“And then two and three are birdie opportunities. So to be three-under through three really got me on the front foot and felt like I was playing great golf,” – Justin Rose
These glimpses into his approach are an indicator of his feel for the course and his ability to take advantage of the right openings.
Leave a Reply