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FedExCup update: Justin Rose continues to make late-season move

Published

6 months ago

August 16, 2024

Justin Rose’s dedication to the details is one reason for his continued success at age 44. He’s the second-oldest participant in the FedExCup Playoffs thanks to two top-10s in majors this year, including a runner-up in last month’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.

The extra effort is necessary to remain competitive against players two decades younger than him, but he finally let himself relax a bit after his success at Royal Troon. There was a birthday celebration (he turned 44 on July 30), a Justin Timberlake concert in Belgium and a visit with friends in Portugal.

“This year has felt like a bit of a grind; all my weeks off have been quite hard-working,” Rose said after his first-round 66 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. “So the last couple weeks I was back in the UK. It was my birthday. Took a little time just slightly away from the game.”

He played nine holes twice during that downtime, then returned last week at the Wyndham Championship to get some competitive reps before the start of the Playoffs. He missed the cut by one last week, but those two rounds served their purpose while also allowing him to miss a marathon, 36-hole Sunday after the Wyndham was delayed by Tropical Storm Debbie.

“Coming from the UK, I think last week was important to get going for this week,” said Rose. He needs a good week after arriving in Tennessee ranked 55th in the FedExCup. He got off to a good start Thursday, and is projected to move to 37th in the standings. He is two shots behind leader Chris Kirk.

Rose was bogey-free as his short game shone. Playing in the day’s first group, he got up-and-down all six times he missed the green, gaining more than a stroke around the greens. He also missed just four fairways Thursday, which is especially important around TPC Southwind.