Justin Rose. Grace Smith-Imagn Images

Justin Rose has done everything at the Masters except win

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 7:23 PM ET

There are few golfers in history who have played better at Augusta National than Justin Rose, and the longtime veteran is hoping he will finally be able to enjoy some of that success come Sunday.

Rose caught fire during the opening round of the Masters, which was nothing new for him. The 44-year-old shot a seven-under 65 and was the leader after Thursday, which marked the fifth different time he has accomplished that feat at the Masters. That is more than any other player in the tournament's history.

Rose also has had at least a share of the lead after nine rounds total at the Masters, which is the most of any golfer who has never won the tournament, including playoffs.

If that wasn't enough, Rose is also the only player in Masters history with multiple opening rounds of 65 or better.

Justin Rose: 5th time leading after opening round of Masters, most in Tournament history

9th round led or co-led in career, most of any player without a Masters win

Rose is the only player with multiple opening rounds of 65 or better in Masters history
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) April 10, 2025

Rose had eight birdies on Thursday. ESPN's Scott Van Pelt asked him after the round about his history of playing well at Augusta National, and Rose said that is what has motivated him to keep grinding.

"That's what's inspiring me to keep playing, keep practicing, keep working hard. All the sacrifices that are required to be away from the family are for playing well in major championships and that dream that I can still win one of these things, or a couple of them. I still believe I can," Rose said.

Rose is making his 20th Masters appearance this year. He has finished in the top 25 in 11 of his past 14 appearances. He has been the runner-up twice, including when he lost to Sergio Garcia in a playoff in 2017.

The only thing Rose has not done at Augusta is capture a green jacket. Now that he is in his mid-40s, each opportunity carries a bit more weight for the former U.S. Open champion.

Atop the leaderboard after 18 holes is a spot Rose has been in before. What he does after that is what will matter most. Rose is hoping 2025 is the year he can finally break through.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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