MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 13, 2025

Justin Rose

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, everyone. I'd like to welcome our 2025 Masters runner-up, Justin Rose, to the interview room.

What an incredible week, today, ten birdies, eight in the last 12 holes. So before we open to questions, any thoughts you'd like to share?

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I mean, it's been an unbelievable week from day one. Obviously the golf course has been in gorgeous condition. The weather has been unbelievable. It's been the most enjoyable Masters from that point of view for quite some time. Just been as you would paint it up, you know, the week has been that way.

You know, some of the golf I've played this week has been probably the finest of my career, tee-to-green, and even on the greens at times. So the only thing I can point to was sort of back nine yesterday with the putter where I kind of let a few too many get away easily, and I felt like starting the day that that was kind of, possibly, going to cost me in the sense that I felt a little bit too far back. I mean, seven back starting the day.

But I woke up this morning, just really grateful to be Sunday of Augusta. It's a special day in the game of golf no matter what, and really wanted to go and put a good account on myself and felt like I got off to a strong start.

Then something happened, for sure, around the middle of round. I just kind of went into the place that you dream about going to. I felt so good with my game. Felt so good with my mind. I began to sense that I was playing my way into the tournament. I was laser focused out there.

And then, you know, really didn't look at a leaderboard all day until the 18th green, and realized that that putt -- I could hear from the crowd on 17 that I was right, right in the mix, and then on 18, I figured Rory was behind me. I needed to make that putt to kind of give myself some hope.

So it's the kind of putt you dream about as a kid, and to have it and hole it, it was a special feeling. And unfortunately, the playoff, they always end so quickly. You know, that's sudden death. You don't really get an opportunity. If you're not the guy to hit the great shot or hole the great putt, it's over.

So I felt like, that's the nature of sudden death. But not really anything I could have done more today.

Q. On 18, you took a second to talk with Zach Johnson. You said that he wanted to give you a little bit more time; that he asked you for a little bit more time. How much did that help you prepare for that moment?

JUSTIN ROSE: Oh, yeah, I think it wasn't the putt to win the tournament, but I think Zach could feel like if I made that putt, the Patrons are going to be pretty excited about it. As a player, you also want to not have to have that two, three, four feet with the crowd, you know, still hustling and bustling.

So a lot of times, it's mutual respect. You say, no, you clean it up because you know what might happen if the other player makes the putt. I said to him, "Yeah, please go ahead." I'm happy to have another look at it from behind the cup because that putt on 18, I had it against Sergio, and I hit a great putt that day. It just went on the high right edge. It's the putt that you hit in practice all the time, but when you actually have it, you second-guess yourself on exactly how much it's going to do.

It was a great day with Zach. He kind of tried to hang back and let me take the walk up 18. I said, no, you're a champ here, let's go together. Being paired with Zach today was a really, really good pairing. Although we got ourselves on the clock a couple times, that was tricky, as well, but he's an awesome guy to play with, and we had a great day.

Q. Great playing today. Was this perhaps the greatest round you've played in a major? I know you won a U.S. Open.

JUSTIN ROSE: Nearly.

Q. What would you put ahead of it, then?

JUSTIN ROSE: I mean -- I mean, nearly. It's a bogey away from being the greatest round I've ever played. It is -- it is a great round. I think if you look at the quality of golf, it possibly, possibly is.

And also, just being in the back nine on Sunday at the Masters, like to be able to hit -- to be able to play that way.

But obviously there are moments there that you look back on and you go, okay, made the wrong mistake there and the wrong mistake there at the wrong time. But tough to dwell on that because ten birdies on this golf course today is -- yeah, it was unbelievable golf.

Q. How do you divide your emotions at the moment between pride and disappointment?

JUSTIN ROSE: Good question. Don't know.

Definitely I'm proud of myself. I think -- yeah, played great golf today. Came out -- I think I flipped the switch from yesterday. Yesterday I was so angry coming off the golf course because I turned 69 into 75 yesterday. I didn't let that momentum seep into today, and I think that that was, from a professionalism point of view, very, very proud of that switch overnight and into this morning.

And then, yeah, hitting the right shots at the right time. Today I hit a lot of quality shots under pressure, and I felt like I was getting stronger and stronger and stronger as the round was going on. I felt so good with my game, good with my emotions, and I'm super proud of that. Because you can't prepare for that. You can't practice for that. That's when you learn about yourself, and I'm still learning about myself.

But at Royal Troon and again here at the Masters, when it gets to the real business end, I feel like I'm really, really calm and ready for it, which is, again, proud of that.

But disappointing. I think to lose in a playoff for the second time kind of punctuates both of them and makes you realize just how close you've been.

Q. When did you learn about what happened to Rory on 13, and how did that affect the way you approached the next several holes?

JUSTIN ROSE: I wasn't looking at leaderboards. The only way I sensed that I was getting into it was the crowd.

I didn't -- like I said, 18 was the first time I glanced at the board. I missed the putt at 17 for par and I said to Fooch, What's going on? He said, You're tied for the lead.

I said, "Okay. Let's birdie 18." Because obviously Rory was behind, and I figured 14 and 15 are good birdie opportunities. I sensed I needed to go ahead and birdie 18.

But then, you know, when I was on the 18th green, I heard a big roar. Felt like an eagle roar on 15, so I assumed I was two back, potentially.

But yeah, I was laser focused on my game today, and that's all I could do was my job.

Yeah, here we are.

Q. You spoke quite rightly about how proud you are of how focused you were, but how much does it hurt being so close and not getting it there?

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, it hurts. I think -- you know, yeah, what are you going to do about it, though?

I think I've already kicked on in my career when I finished second to Sergio here. By then played some of the best golf of my career, got to world No. 1.

What do you choose to dwell on, you know what I mean? There's no point in being too despondent about it and you look at all the good stuff that got me into this situation. You can't skip through a career without a little bit of heartache. It's not going to happen. If you're willing to lift the big championships, you've to put yourself on the line. You have to risk feeling this way to get the reverse. It's all -- it nets out.

Q. You're 44 years old. What are you doing to stay young and to compete with the young guns?

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, I mean, it doesn't get any easier for sure. I think as you go through your career, you kind of think, oh, well, hopefully experience kicks in and certain things become easier. But no, I feel like I'm having to be more disciplined and make more sacrifices now than I ever have. That, I would say, is what I'm trying to do. I'm willing to put in that work.

The reason I'm willing to putt in that work is for these occasions, these moments. Standing ovation on 18 when I finished, I took a moment, not knowing the result, but just soaking that in. That was obviously a nice moment because it was still what might be, what could be, but you're still -- you know, you're living the dream. Like one day, I won't be competing this way at this tournament. So you know, for now, the hard work is totally worth it, to get these little moments, they are very special.

Q. I consider you a student of the game, a fan of the game. Why do you think a Rory win like this has created such a fervor among his fans? Why has this created such a high among them?

JUSTIN ROSE: I was curious how the day was going to be for Bryson and Rory given the U.S. Open and given the dynamics, obviously Bryson has a big following, I think bigger now than it's ever been. I obviously wasn't privy to that in the group. I don't know how that played out today.

There's a lot of support for me, too, out there. We saw part of history today. Someone won the career Grand Slam. It's a momentous day in the game of golf. Quite rightly, fans are going to be excited about that. He's captivating to watch. He's a great player. He plays with so much sort of style and charisma and flare, I suppose and you never quite know, as well, because he's made a few mistakes under pressure. People, they want to kind of like keep watching, keep guessing.

But today, again, I mean, he kind of gave me an opportunity on 18 I think from the fairway. That was nice of him.

But again, kind of closed the door beautifully on 18, two great swings when it mattered most for him. I think that's what he's really learned to do this year is play much more controlled golf, and obviously it's paying off for him. He's having an unbelievable season.

Q. Rory, what did you say so -- sorry, your name is Justin. What did you say to Rory? And obviously the Ryder Cup, this will be a massive, massive boost for you.

JUSTIN ROSE: Yeah, Rory is a friend for sure. Walked on the tee. We shake hands. That's the business end of things. When it's all said and done, I said to him, Listen, I was glad I was here on this green to witness you win the career Grand Slam. That's such a cool, momentous moment in the game of golf. Yeah, that was it.

He was obviously pretty overcome with emotion and probably not going to be able to take in much at the time. But yeah, I mean -- yeah, that's -- it was a big day in golf.

Q. All your peers describe you as professional, like a classic professional. How would you define what that means for the rest of us?

JUSTIN ROSE: Hopefully good. If you're professional at something, you want to be regarded as -- it's a compliment. I feel like I go about things diligently, the right way, give it my best.

Always try to put -- yeah, I don't know what it means. I mean, it's tough to sit here and sort of talk about, you know, good attributes.

For me, it's just about fulfilling my childhood dreams, really, and giving everything I've got and no regrets. I think that's what it's all about for me is just trying to look under every stone, push myself as hard as I can to be the best I can be, and I think that's what being professional is.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, everyone, thank you, Justin.

JUSTIN ROSE: Thank you.