Rose is in bloom after slow start

AUGUSTA — Justin Rose, who tied Phil Mickelson for second place, was happy to be in the heat of it again after a slow start to the year. “I’m really excited about the rest of the year now,” said the 2013 U.S. Open champ. “It’s a good momentum starter for me. I tried to really tell myself that this year for me is going to be about April to September when the big tournaments come around and that’s when I want to play well.”

Rose noted that Rory McIlroy played his best golf in the summer.

“I was trying to keep telling myself it’s a long year,” he said. “I’m very happy it turned around this week in a major championship.

“But the thing that was most important for me this week was the fact that I have not been in contention and I haven’t had a lot of experience this year or positive vibes on which to draw,” Rose said. “I was really pleased at how comfortable I felt in that situation today, last group in the Masters on Sunday. I think that’s when you learn a lot about yourself and that makes me very hungry to get there again very soon.”

LONG AND SHORT OF IT

Patrick Reed did not have the option of throttling back on the tee Sunday.

“I really had to concentrate on hitting that driver solid because I hit 3 wood on one, I get on the second hole and I hit one and it felt like there was no golf ball,” he explained. “And I looked down and the entire face of my club was caved in.

“Having to play this place without a 3 wood and only a driver, it made it tough,” he said. “I guess the aggressiveness helped at some points, but also it got me in trouble on a couple of holes.”

Reed’s tee shot on two only went about 230 yards. Two late bogeys left Reed with a 2-under par 70.

“Besides that, it was a solid day. It was a solid week,” he said.

EAGLE EYES

Bubba Watson’s chances to defend his championship were long gone, but he almost holed out for a double eagle on No. 2.

“I hit a good tee shot. I liked it off the tee. I got down there, I was just in between a 6 iron and 5 iron,” he explained. “I was waiting for this gust of wind. So then we went with a 5 iron and I hit it perfect.

“I knew it would go to the center of the green and then it was just all about how the bounce was. And it bounced perfectly and started rolling. So I knew it was going to be good. Obviously, you don’t know how good from 220 something yards away, but obviously I could make eagle, it was close enough.”

Watson closed his week with a 74, 1-over for the tournament.