Justin Rose won the St Jude Championship in dramatic fashion on Sunday, and Rory McIlroy has previously made an admission about the English golfer
Rory McIlroy has previously shared his thoughts about Justin Rose(Image: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Justin Rose has revealed the mentality that helped him secure the St Jude Championship on Sunday. The 45-year-old set a new record by becoming the oldest European to claim a win on the PGA Tour.
Throughout the tournament, Tommy Fleetwood looked set to claim the first PGA title of his career in Memphis. Despite leading by two strokes with three holes remaining, Fleetwood’s par on the 16th allowed his rivals to gain ground, eventually leading to a tie between Rose and US Open champion J.J. Spaun on 16-under-par.
Rose emerged victorious from their three-hole playoff to secure the 12th PGA win of his career. Rose, who finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy at the Masters in April, explained how his meticulous approach had helped him stay consistent and pick up the win at the St Jude Championship.
“I’ve always known I’ve had that,” Rose said during his press conference. “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.”
Justin Rose defeated J.J. Spaun in a playoff to win the St Jude Championship(Image: Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Rose received many plaudits for his reaction to McIlroy’s playoff victory at the Masters as the Northern Irishman finally completed his career Grand Slam. When asked about Rose, McIlroy was full of praise for his five-time Ryder Cup team-mate.
“He’s [Rose] a great champion,” McIlroy said. “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.”
Justin Rose won his 12th PGA title at the St Jude Championship in Memphis(Image: Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Rose won the 2013 US Open but has subsequently been runner-up or tied for second at five major championships. McIlroy knows him well from their time on Team Europe, contributing to four Ryder Cup victories together, and they will be on the same side again later this year.
The 45-year-old demonstrated a level of calmness during his playoff against Spaun. Rose was delighted with how he ended the final day to clinch the St Jude Championship, as he saw his practice paying off.
“I hit a couple good putts in regulation and in the first playoff hole as well,” he said. “Obviously J.J. 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.”
