Justin Rose has come close to winning the Masters more times than most players in the modern era. He came in second at Augusta in 2015, 2017, and 2025, losing two playoff matches, one to Sergio García and the other to Rory McIlroy. In fact, he is one of only two players in Masters history to lose more than one playoff without winning. Now, he is chasing another chance. So, when a good opportunity slipped away, with McIlroy ahead once again, he lost his cool for a moment.

“😡😤 Justin Rose was LIVID after this putt didn’t fall,” wrote NUCLR Golf in an X post reporting the incident.

The post features a video in which the 13-time PGA Tour winner attempts a short putt on the par-5 No. 8, Yellow Jasmine, something professionals are expected to convert with ease. However, the ball missed the cup, and Rose got animated, slapping his right hand on his thigh. Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek even reported that the sound was so loud that it echoed through the trees.

However, this single missed putt wasn’t the only source of his frustration.

Rose, who won the U.S. Open in 2013, finished Thursday with two bogeys in a row and continued to struggle on Friday. He started with another dropped shot after hitting a tree on the right and missing a 10-foot par putt. The 45-year-old Englishman then missed more chances, missing birdie putts from seven feet at the par-5 second and par-3 fourth. On the fourth hole, he had also shown his frustration by throwing his putter into the air after being four shots behind the leader.

However, he recovered very quickly. After missing the putt on 8, he hit 3 consecutive birdies on holes 9, 10, and 11 to enter serious contention with Sam Burns and Rory McIlroy. But things changed again on No. 12 for Rose. He again missed a putt for par on the 12th green. Still and all, a birdie on the 15th put him T2.

Rose, though, is far from the only player showing frustration amid the intense pressure at the 2026 Masters. Robert MacIntyre, for instance, showed frustration after a devastating Round 1. He finished 8-over 80, which included a quadruple bogey on No. 15. After he hit the ball in the water twice on No. 15, he flipped the bird, and the Masters officials reprimanded him.

If he had not missed all those opportunities, Justin Rose would have been leading the scoreboard. But despite the lost opportunities, he still had luck shining on him.

Justin Rose gets lucky

Justin Rose’s tee shot on Friday’s second round at the 12th hole looked like it was going to land in the thick bushes beyond the bunker. But after it landed, the ball hit what looked like a sand rake near the edge of the bunker and bounced back into a playable area, saving him a stroke or two. He ended up with a bogey on the 155-yard hole, which was only his second over-par score of the day at that point.

Now, he will be looking to pull through. Speaking about his early efforts at the Masters, Rose said:

“I think overall a good start. Just big-picture, kind of knew the course was going to be playing tricky today, especially this afternoon. Yesterday was quite a windy day. This morning was cold. I thought it was going to take a lot of the moisture out of the golf course.”

“Obviously it was a beautiful afternoon. Wind laid down a little bit. It was nice to play out there. Obviously my day, yeah, spoiled a little bit by two late bogeys, but other than that, I think a good start to the tournament.”

If Justin Rose wins at 45, he will be the second-oldest person to win the Masters, behind Jack Nicklaus, who won at 46 in 1986. That chance is still possible if he keeps hitting the ball cleanly and accurately off the tee.

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