Justin Rose WDs from $20m PGA Tour event after another Masters heartbreak

Justin Rose has decided not to play this week's PGA Tour event following yet another near miss at The Masters.

Rose, 45, was attempting to become the oldest first-time winner of the green jacket last week at Augusta National. 

The Englishman got himself into contention once again and, standing on the 10th tee during the final round, had a two-shot lead.

But by the time he reached the 18th green the European Ryder Cup legend was rueing another "chance that got away". 

The 2013 U.S. Open champion came unstuck around Amen Corner and missed crucial birdie chances down the stretch. 

Rose has now finished runner-up on three occasions at Augusta National, with two of those times being beaten in a play-off. 

Without a shadow of a doubt, Rose has a strong claim for being one of the best players to never win a green jacket. 

Rose was expected to get right back on the horse at this week's signature event in Harbour Town. 

But on Monday, the PGA Tour confirmed Rose has pulled out of the RBC Heritage. He has been replaced in the 82-player field by Michael Thorbjornsen. 

Should another player withdraw, then five-time major champion Brooks Koepka is in line for his first start at a signature event. 

Koepka, who returned to the PGA Tour in January following his exit from LIV Golf, is listed as the first alternate. 

The American five-time major champion's return to the PGA Tour came with several conditions, one of those being that he had to play his way into the bumper prize purse events on merit and not accept sponsor exemptions. 

On Sunday, the PGA Tour announced that Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Wyndham Clark and Marco Penge were the recipients of sponsor invites to the RBC Heritage. 

The RBC Heritage begins on 16 April. Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele and Robert MacIntyre are among the highest-ranked players in the field. 

Scheffler, 29, who recently questioned the conditions at Augusta National following his runner-up finish to Rory McIlroy at The Masters, is the pre-tournament betting favourite. 

Justin Rose on his performance at the 2026 Masters

Rose led the 2026 Masters field by two shots after making a hat-trick of birdies from the seventh hole. 

Then Amen Corner claimed another victim as Rose's momentum stalled with a bogey at the 11th and a duffed chip costing him another at the iconic par-three 12th. 

Then, he found the par-five 13th green in two shots but walked off with a par after racing his eagle putt past the hole and failing to knock in the return. 

His bid to win a second major title vanished with a bogey at the 17th.

Still, Rose didn't sound too crestfallen when he spoke to reporters.

"I was really in control - the first 10 holes - and the mentality was to run through the finish line, not just try and get it done," Rose said.

"I was by no means free and clear and was nowhere close to having the job done, but I was right in position.

"I was playing great, but momentum shifted for me around Amen Corner. That three-putt was untimely for sure."

Rose will turn 46 in the summer and will return to make his 22nd appearance at The Masters next April. 

"I'll just keep knocking on that door," he posted on X.