It did seem that history was going to repeat itself on Sunday at The Masters, with Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose among the players vying for the Green Jacket deep into the final round at Augusta National.
Of course, it was Rose who received all kinds of plaudits 12 months ago for the way he handled becoming only the second man after Ben Hogan to lose twice in a playoff at The Masters.
The Englishman was incredibly gracious as McIlroy completed the Career Grand Slam at long last.
At one stage on Sunday this year, it appeared that it was going to be Rose’s time to get across the line.
Rory McIlroy comments on Justin Rose after his dramatic Masters victory
The 45-year-old took a two-shot lead at one stage. However, Amen Corner proved to be something of a nightmare for the 2013 US Open champion. He made bogeys on 11 and 12 before three-putting for par on the 13th.
That helped set the stage for McIlroy to become only the fourth man to win The Masters in successive years.
McIlroy has now won six majors. Speaking to Sky Sports, he explained how important his preparation was to his victory.
He went on to pay tribute to Rose after his latest close call at the first major of the year.
“I think there’s a lot left. It took me so long to go from four to five. And it’s been pretty quick to go from five to six. So I’m 36, I’ll be 37 soon. But I feel really good, my body’s good, I have a lot of opportunities left, especially in these big tournaments,” he said.
“The one thing I would say is I took three weeks off leading into this event to make sure my body was right, to make sure my preparation was right. I’m not going to do that for every major, because I’m not able to, but I think I felt the most prepared coming into this event that I ever have.
“I played the golf course so much. I had such a comfortable feeling going here. Honestly, over the last few weeks, it’s felt like my home golf course because I’ve been here so much. So I think to see that preparation pay off is amazing.
“For me, it’s the majors, it’s Ryder Cups, it’s the biggest tournaments in the world. That’s what keeps me going. That’s what’s going to keep me going from 36 until I’m 45 for example.
“I still look at Justin Rose today, another chance to win a major, another chance to win The Masters. What he’s doing at his age, it’s incredible. And I think everyone would love to see him get another major because I feel like he deserves it. But what Rosey is doing is the blueprint for me. I feel like I can look at him and I’m like, okay, I can see myself competing at the highest level when I’m that age as well.”
The difference in this year’s Masters for Justin Rose
It is impossible to not have sympathy for Rose. He actually has more top three finishes at The Masters than McIlroy, even after the Northern Irishman’s two victories.
While McIlroy did everything he could to throw the title away in 2025, it felt destined to happen for him after he simply refused to give up.
It would have given Rose a small amount of comfort that he was such a prominent figure in history being made. Unfortunately, the same probably could not be said for this year, as he alluded to when he spoke to the media after Sunday’s round.
“Yeah, I feel like with a sudden death loss you kind of know you got to the house. You’ve done everything it took to win. Then it comes down to flick of a coin at times,” he said.
“Whereas today I felt like, yeah, there was an opportunity to do better, so obviously that is frustrating for sure.”
If Rose never wins The Masters, it may well be his performance on the last nine on Sunday this past week that stings the most.
Just when it looked to be his time, he stumbled. This may be the year that finally leaves a scar or two on one of the greatest players of this era.
