Never Too Late: Justin Rose and the Quest for the Claret Jug Over Two Decades

Justin Rose at the 2025 Open practice round.

On a misty morning, Justin Rose steps onto the tee box at Royal Portrush to prepare for his 23rd appearance at The Open, a tournament that has been a dream of his for more than two decades.

At 44, Rose is no longer a name that makes people admire his youthful breakthrough, but a symbol of perseverance, courage and never-ending faith. For him, holding the Claret Jug in his hands is not just a title, but the destination of a long journey, full of challenges and strong faith.

“Since I was 8 years old, standing on the putting green, I dreamed of winning The Open,” Rose shared, her eyes shining with nostalgia.

Rose has finished second twice at The Open, last year and in 2018. Further back at The Open in 1998, Rose made a big splash with a fourth-place finish when he was just 17 years old and still an amateur golfer.

“1998 was the fairytale ending to my amateur career. And since then, I have come very close to winning the Claret Jug a few times. I still see myself making the final putt to win it very clearly in my mind.”

Twelve months ago at Royal Troon, Rose played like he had nothing to lose, but still couldn't overcome a hot Xander Schauffele.

“I played as well as anyone that week,” Rose recalled. “But golf is like that, some days you play really well, and there's always someone better.”

Not only at The Open, Justin Rose continued to taste bitterness at The Masters 2025, when he fell in the play-off series to Ryder Cup teammate - Rory McIlroy, for the second time in his career. Seven years ago, he also fell to Sergio Garcia in a similar scenario.

“When I saw Rory standing on the green with a 3-foot putt, I couldn’t help but shiver. It was so familiar to me, like reliving an old memory,” Rose said. “But this time, I still felt happy for Rory. He had waited so long. And I knew that because I was waiting too.”

Rory McIlroy, the world's number two golfer, was the centre of attention at Portrush this year, with the Northern Irish crowd pinning their hopes on him. But for Justin Rose, that didn't make him any less of a man, but rather added a layer of significance to his own journey.

“Rory is an icon here, a pride of this land. If he wins this time, it will be no surprise. It will be like the icing and cherry on top of an already fantastic cake,” Rose said. “But I also believe that if I play to the best of my ability, I can still compete. My journey is not over yet.”

At an age when many golfers have retired, Rose still chooses to continue stepping onto the field, not to cling to the limelight, but because his heart still burns with golf.

“I know I can't improve much technically,” he admitted. “But I believe that, in special conditions and moments, I can still show my best golf. And when that happens, I can still win.”