Justin Rose delivered a stunning late surge to claim victory at the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis, securing his first PGA Tour title in more than two years and becoming the oldest European winner on the circuit in the modern era.
At 45 years old, the Englishman’s victory was the result of a remarkable back-nine charge that included six birdies, where a hole was completed just a stroke under the designated par, in his final eight holes, followed by two more in a tense three-hole playoff against US Open champion JJ Spaun.
Rose entered the final stretch trailing by two shots after a bogey, where he needed one more stroke more than par to finish. The 12th hole dropped him to 12 under par, with Tommy Fleetwood, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, and Spaun ahead. Regardless, birdies on the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th holes vaulted him into contention, with a 13-foot putt on the 18th for outright victory missing narrowly, forcing a playoff.
In the first extra hole, Rose nearly replicated that same 13-foot attempt but watched it burn the edge. On the second playoff hole, Spaun holed a long birdie putt to keep the contest alive, forcing Rose to respond with a confident birdie of his own from close range. The decisive moment came at the third playoff hole, where Rose sank a 14-foot birdie putt after Spaun missed from half the distance.
“This was an amazing last 90 minutes,” Rose said afterwards, describing his late surge and the playoff as one of the most enjoyable stretches of golf in his career. He credited self-belief and composure for helping him close out the win.
The win was Rose’s 12th PGA Tour title and his first since the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February 2023. It also ended a run of four consecutive playoff defeats, including his narrow loss to Rory McIlroy at this year’s Masters.
While Rose revelled in his victory, Tommy Fleetwood, still pursuing his maiden PGA Tour victory, narrowly missed another opportunity. The Ryder Cup teammate of Rose began the final round with a one-shot lead but bogeyed his opening hole and failed to record a birdie until the 12th, where he holed a 33-foot putt to regain a share of the lead. Birdies on the 13th and 15th put him two ahead, but a bogey at the 17th and a par at the last left him one shot behind the playoff contenders.
Fleetwood’s third-place finish alongside Scheffler adds to a frustrating record. The world number 15 now holds the distinction of the highest career PGA Tour earnings without a victory, surpassing $31.4 million. His record includes six top-five finishes this season and 29 overall, the most by any player without a win in the last four decades.
Spaun, in the meantime, was chasing his second PGA Tour win after his US Open triumph earlier this year. A birdie-birdie finish in regulation secured his playoff place, but despite his long-range heroics on the second extra hole, he could not match Rose’s final birdie.
The playoff drama overshadowed other storylines, including Ryder Cup qualification implications. Both Rose and Fleetwood confirmed their spots on Team Europe for September’s matches under captain Luke Donald, while Spaun and Xander Schauffele locked in places for Team USA. Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, England’s Tyrrell Hatton, and Austria’s Sepp Straka currently hold the final European automatic qualifying spots, with the race concluding after the British Masters. For the Americans, Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau, and Harris English occupy the last three automatic berths ahead of the BMW Championship.
Rose’s victory also guaranteed his progression to the BMW Championship, the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, reserved for the top 50 in the standings. His win reinforced his view that he still has plenty to achieve despite being in his mid-40s. “I can’t let my age become too much of a story,” he said, noting that the result was the product of “a lot of hard work coming to fruition.”
For Fleetwood, the wait for a breakthrough win goes on, but his form this season keeps him firmly among the contenders. “I’m getting close,” he said, reflecting on another opportunity that slipped away. “I was right in there with a chance, and it’s hard.”
With the playoff win at TPC Southwind, Rose joins a select group of players over 40 to claim a PGA Tour title in recent years.
