Justin Rose hints at 'gameplan' to end Masters hoodoo after suffering heartbreak last year to Rory McIlroy

Callum Vurley
Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:24:42 +0000

Justin Rose is feeling pretty pleased with himself after securing his spot for the weekend at Augusta National.

The Englishman posted a tidy 69 during Friday's second round, keeping himself firmly in contention at the Masters.

"It's very satisfying," Rose said. "It's kind of a continuation of being on the leaderboard here, keeping the dream alive and continuing to enjoy this great tournament."

"I have a gameplan. I guess every single day, you’ve got to break it down given the pin placements and know from past experience which pins you like, what suits your game, what suits your eye.

"You can’t look forward more than tomorrow, but hopefully do the same, swing it well, and maybe putt a little bit freer, that’s probably what I need to do."

This marks his 21st appearance at the famous Georgia venue, where he's finished runner-up three times.

Rose reckoned the morning conditions helped, with some moisture on the greens and manageable wind making the course feel "somewhat gettable."

Rose's partnership with caddie Mark Fulcher goes back years, with "Fooch" on the bag from 2008 to 2019 before they reunited ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup.

The pair had several extended chats during Friday's round, particularly on holes 5 and 9.

"It's just a delicate balance, isn't it," Rose explained. "If someone interjects and puts an idea in there that's not your own, it's very hard to then commit to it."

He added: "We have this sort of relationship where I need to see it; I need to drive the vision of what we want to do."

On the fifth hole, things looked dicey when Rose found himself under a bush, already one over for the day.

"I felt like momentum was definitely going the wrong way at that point in my round," he admitted.

But the three-time runner-up dug deep and turned things around.

"I think I did a good job of digging in at that point and rebuilding the round, so I give myself a lot of credit for finding that momentum and finding that good play," Rose said.

He acknowledged the 69 was probably the best he could have managed, though the round could easily have gone either way.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Rose has a clear strategy in mind.

"I have a gameplan," he said. "Every single day, you've got to break it down given the pin placements and know from past experience which pins you like, what suits your game, what suits your eye."

The key for Rose is maintaining the right mindset over the final two rounds.

"Whenever I play well, I tend to play controlled golf and get pretty focused," he explained.

"The goal is just to try to keep it as free as I can as well.

"Don't get too intense where you get in your own way, you've still got to keep it fun, light and aggressive."

His main target? Putting with more freedom.