Justin Rose rose to glory at the St Jude Championship in incredible fashion on Sunday, and Rory McIlroy has previously made quite the admission on the seasoned pro
Justin Rose has shared the mindset that enabled him to clinch the St Jude Championship on Sunday.
The 45-year-old reached a new milestone by becoming the oldest European to secure victory on the PGA Tour. During the tournament, Tommy Fleetwood appeared poised to capture the inaugural PGA title of his professional career in Memphis.
Although holding a two-shot advantage with three holes left to play, Fleetwood’s par at the 16th enabled his competitors to close the gap, ultimately resulting in a deadlock between Rose and US Open champion, JJ Spaun, at 16-under-par. Rose triumphed in their three-hole playoff to claim the 12th PGA victory of his professional journey.
The Englishman, who placed second to Rory McIlroy at the Masters in April, detailed how his methodical strategy had assisted him in maintaining consistency and securing triumph at the St Jude Championship. He said during his press conference: “I’ve always known I’ve had that.
“Like I get nervous for the best of them, you know, like I feel nervous at times, but I know that when it matters, I still got it. I kind of get, I feel better and better and better as it gets more and more important.
“So that’s good to know. It’s the hard stuff to practice. It’s the hard stuff to teach. Nice to know that that hasn’t left me at this ripe old age.
“But listen, I don’t want to keep saying that because I’m actually, I feel like I’m moving well. The body’s feeling good. I’m training well. Yeah, I feel like there could be, you know, listen, it could be a good run of golf still. So I can’t let the age kind of become too much of the story.”
Rose earned widespread admiration for his response to McIlroy’s playoff triumph at the Masters as the Northern Irishman finally secured his career Grand Slam. When questioned about Rose, McIlroy was effusive in his praise for his five-time Ryder Cup colleague.
He said: “He’s [Rose] a great champion. He has displayed so much grace throughout his career. You know, selfishly, I was happy that it was another Euro in the playoff.
“We’re on a good run at the minute. We’re [in a] Ryder Cup year and all that. He’s had a phenomenal record around here, and I feel for him a little bit because he’s been so close. He’s a good friend, and hopefully, he has a few more opportunities.”
Rose claimed the 2013 US Open but has since finished as runner-up or joint second at five major championships. McIlroy is well acquainted with him from their stint on Team Europe, helping secure four Ryder Cup triumphs together, and they will unite once more later this year.
Rose was thrilled with his conclusion to the final day to secure the St Jude Championship, witnessing his preparation come to fruition. He added: “I hit a couple good putts in regulation and in the first playoff hole as well.
“Obviously JJ dropped a bomb on me, I topped him. It was a lot of fun today. That’s why I practice. That’s why I play. I’ve been saying for some time now, obviously Augusta, when I bring my best, I know I’m good enough to play and to compete, and to now win against the best players in the world. Very gratifying day for me and a lot of hard work coming to fruition.”
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