Rose: ‘This one probably is one that slipped by, for sure’

AUGUSTA, Ga. — At the end of the 81st Masters on Sunday at sunsplashed Augusta National, what happened to Justin Rose was rather simple. And the most succinct synopsis came in Rose’s words after the tournament was over.

“I would say this one probably is one that slipped by, for sure,’’ Rose said. “I felt pretty much in control of my game and the tournament for the most part all day and Sergio did what he had to do to make a run.’’

Yes, Sergio Garcia stepped up and won the Masters in a one-hole playoff Sunday, but Rose had a part in it, too.

He missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole that could have given him a three-shot lead with Garcia reeling at the time, and then he missed a 6-foot par putt on 17 that relinquished the one-shot lead he had at the time.

Rose missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th in regulation, leaving Garcia with a 5-footer to win (which he would miss) and Rose leaned on the shoulder of his caddie Mark Fulcher, believing he’d lost the tournament.

“When I missed my putt, I feared for the worst,’’ he said. “Barring a great comeback from Sergio, it was mine to cruise to the house. But it’s not always that easy. At the end of the day, you’re going to win majors and you’re going to lose majors but you’ve got to be willing to lose them. You’ve got to put yourself out there.

“You’ve got to hit the top of the leaderboard. There’s a lot of pressure out there and if you’re not willing to enjoy it, then you’re not ready to win these tournaments. I loved it out there.

“I can’t pick holes in my performance. I felt fantastic out there. I felt cool, calm and collected. Could I have made the putt on 17? Of course I could. But for the most part, I’m not going to sit here and second-guess one or two shots. I really stepped up. I felt great. I felt in control. I felt positive. I felt confident.’’

Rose, who won the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, insisted he remains confident he’ll one day be a Masters champion.

“It’s going to sting for sure,’’ Rose said. “But I really feel like this is a tournament that I can still go on to win. I’d like to win three or four Green Jackets, but one would be enough, you know. I just want to win here. I have plenty more looks, and I feel good about it happening.’’