Justin Rose has pulled out of this week's RBC Heritage, following in the footsteps of Rory McIlroy. The Englishman's decision comes after another near-miss at the Masters, where he finished runner-up to McIlroy for the second time in three years.
Rose, 45, pushed McIlroy close at Augusta National but ultimately fell short as the Northern Irishman surged clear on the final day. It was Rose's fourth top-three finish at the Masters without winning, a record second only to Greg Norman's six.
Michael Thorbjornsen has replaced Rose in the RBC Heritage field. Wyndham Clark, Billy Horschel, Marco Penge and Tony Finau are among the sponsor exemptions for the tournament, which Rose last played in 2025, finishing T42.
Reflecting on his Masters performance, Rose acknowledged the crowd's support but noted the bittersweet nature of their applause. 'At the end it kind of goes a little flat. It's more of a sympathy than anything,' he said. 'But, yeah, another little stinger.'
Despite his age, Rose remains hopeful of eventually winning a Green Jacket, pointing to veterans like Fred Couples and Bernhard Langer as examples. 'The guys get around this golf course. It does show this course maybe more than anywhere suits maybe personal style or knowledge,' he concluded.
