Rose keen to finally clinch green jacket

HARDLY a year goes by without Justin Rose adding to his litany of memories at the Masters and what is shaping into an epic Augusta hard-luck story on a scale not seen since the days of Greg Norman.

The Englishman was at it again 12 months ago with an astonishing first-round 65 to lead by four shots, despite the fact he was palpably out of form in the build-up.

Only two players in the history of the event have led after the first round on four separate occasions and between them those players have amassed a grand total of six green jackets. The trouble for Rose is that the other co-holder, Jack Nicklaus, has all six.

Rose has led after the second and third rounds as well. He has even led on two occasions walking to the 71st tee, including against Sergio Garcia in a Sunday shoot-out in 2017 that ended with the Spaniard winning a play-off. In 2015, Rose was also in the final group on Sunday and played well, only to lose out to an otherworldly putting display from Jordan Spieth.

How do you rationalise all that? Is it pride pride at 15 top-40 finishes in 16 starts at Augusta, including eight inside the top 12, or frustration that there is still no green jacket?

‘It’s totally both, isn’t it?’ said Rose. ‘The way I look at it is that it wouldn’t have taken any more for me to win the Masters than it did for me to win the Olympic gold medal. There’s always a moment on Sunday afternoon when it happens one way or the other.

‘If you look back at 2017 against Sergio, you’d have to say there was a bit of daylight robbery going on. I played plenty good enough down the stretch to win and that was the one that got away. In 2015 against Jordan, I did the things you’re supposed to do but he just putted his eyeballs out and fair play to him for that.

‘I do think that if I’d had the right bit of luck I would be talking to you with a green jacket. It’s fractions, at the end of the day. All you can do is keep working hard.’