For ten holes on Sunday at Augusta National, Justin Rose felt he had the Masters in his grasp.
With a two-shot lead and what he described as the "mentality to run through the finish line," the English golfer appeared poised to finally capture the elusive Green Jacket. Yet, by the time he walked off the 18th green, that dream had evaporated once more, leaving him to lament another "chance that got away."
This latest disappointment marks a painful pattern for the 45-year-old. Rose now has three runner-up finishes at the Masters—two of those losses coming in playoffs against Ryder Cup teammates. He has placed in the top ten at Augusta eight times, strengthening the argument that he may be the best player never to win this tournament.
Even fellow competitor Tyrrell Hatton, who tied with Rose for third place, acknowledged his colleague's near-misses, saying, "If there was anyone deserving of a Green Jacket, it probably would be Rosey."
Rose's Sunday unraveled at the infamous Amen Corner. After building momentum with three consecutive birdies starting at the seventh hole, his charge stalled with a bogey on the 11th. A misplayed chip on the iconic par-3 12th cost him another stroke. Though he reached the green in two on the par-5 13th, he couldn't convert his eagle opportunity, and his hopes effectively ended with a bogey on the 17th.
"I felt there was an opportunity to do better," Rose reflected afterward, calling the loss "a bit of a stinger." He noted that this year's near-miss felt more "frustrating" than his playoff defeat to Rory McIlroy twelve months prior, explaining, "With a sudden-death loss, you know you got to the house. You've done everything it took to win, then it comes down to a flick of a coin at times."
The result extends Rose's major championship drought to thirteen years, dating back to his 2013 U.S. Open victory. While he has since added an Olympic gold medal and recent PGA Tour wins to his resume, the Masters continues to be the one that got away—a title that remains just beyond his reach.