The Masters 2026: Justin Rose seeks to avenge play-off heartbreak but insists Augusta National 'does not owe him anything'

Justin Rose insists Augusta National "does not owe him anything" as he looks to avenge last year’s play-off heartbreak and string of near-misses at The Masters.

The former world No 1 has already won on the PGA Tour this season at the Farmers Insurance Open and holds an impressive record at The Masters, with his narrow loss to Rory McIlroy 12 months ago the third runner-up finish at the event.

Rose finished tied-second as Jordan Spieth roared to his maiden major title in the 2015 contest, then lost out in a play-off to Sergio Garcia in 2017 after letting a two-shot lead slip over the back nine.

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He has registered 10 top-10 in majors since that disappointment, including a runner-up finish to Xander Schauffele at The Open in 2024 ahead of being beaten in a play-off by McIlroy at The Masters the following April.

"I hope it [near-misses] only boosts my belief that I can go ahead and do it [win at The Masters]," Rose said. "I feel like I've pretty much done what it takes to win. I just haven't walked over the line. I feel like I've executed well enough to have done the job.

"From that point of view, I don't feel like I have to find something in myself to do something different - I truly believe that. I don't feel like it [Augusta National] owes me anything. I come here with a good attitude. I come here with it being a place that I enjoy."

'I gave it everything' - Rose on missing out to McIlroy

Rose raced into a three-shot lead after the opening day of last year's contest and held a one-shot advantage heading into the weekend, where he fell seven behind after a third-round 75 before his dramatic Sunday comeback.

"When you realise you're that close, you can taste the victory," Rose admitted. "You know what it would feel like had it been the other way around. I could see what it felt like.

"I can see the celebrations. It all played out right in front of me. I kind of lived it as if I'd have won it, but obviously without any of the real positive emotion that goes with that, but I kind of sensed everything.

"I feel like Saturday afternoon is the missed opportunity, quite frankly. Saturday is the day I'm frustrated and mad about - 40 putts or 38 putts or something crazy like that. That was the day I lost it really, and then did a great job on Sunday - walked away on Sunday feeling like I gave it everything."

Victory this year would see Rose - who turns 46 in July - as the second-oldest winner of The Masters in history, just a year younger than Jack Nicklaus when he claimed the last of his 18 major titles in 1986.

"I don't think about it [age] on a day-to-day level," Rose insisted. "Happy that the narrative around it is more positive than negative, for the most part.

"Definitely there is some motivation there to keep going, keep pushing, try to find new habits, new ways of trying to get better, realising that's a pretty difficult ambition to sort of get better at this stage of my career.

"Still feel like there's areas of my game that I can improve on significantly and easily without age being a factor to those areas of my game. Still enjoying the work really, I think, and that's the most important thing. When you enjoy it, you don't feel your age."

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(c) Sky Sports 2026: The Masters 2026: Justin Rose seeks to avenge play-off heartbreak but insists Augusta National 'does not owe him anything'