Justin Rose's words to Rory McIlroy after crushing Masters defeat leave golf insider shocked: "Very classy"

Sam Riggs of Bastool Sports' Fore Play Podcast praised Justin Rose on the podcast on Thursday. Rose finished in solo second place at The Masters last weekend, losing in a playoff to Rory McIlroy.

Rose joined Ben Hogan as the only players to lose in multiple playoffs at The Masters, having lost the 2017 Masters in a playoff to Sergio Garcia. Riggs praised Rose on the podcast for his class in handling his crushing defeat to McIlroy.

"I want to credit Justin Rose... he did the press conference right afterwards for 15 minutes or so. He was all class," Riggs said on the podcast.

"[Rose] told Rory, you know, 'congratulations, and I just want you to know it's very special for me that I'm even on this 18th green to witness such history in golf'... for him to kind of say something like that to Rory and go do the presser and handle it incredibly well, was very classy from Justin Rose," Riggs said [1:25:00 onwards].

Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy have long been friends and teammates on the European Ryder Cup Team multiple times over.

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Justin Rose seeks second major title after close calls at recent major championships

Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy after The 2025 Masters Tournament (via Getty)

Justin Rose has played well in the last two major championships, finishing in solo second place at The Masters last week and in a tie for second place at The Open Championship last July. His only major championship victory came at the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club.

The 44-year-old fired a six-under-par 66 in the final round of The Masters on Sunday, making a birdie putt on the final hole that would ultimately get him into the sudden-death play with Rory McIlroy. On the first playoff hole, Rose narrowly missed a birdie putt. McIlroy made his short birdie putt to win the tournament.

Rose was the leader at The Masters after the first round, in which he fired a seven-under-par 65. He shot a one-under-par 71 in round two and a three-over-par 75 in round three, putting him seven shots back of leader Rory McIlroy entering the final round.

Rose also played well at the PGA Championship in 2024, finishing in a tie for sixth place. At the Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland, Rose entered the final round tied for second place, one shot behind leader Billy Horschel.

Rose shot a four-under-par 67 in the final round, but was outdone by Xander Schauffele, who shot a six-under-par 65 in the final round to defeat Rose by two shots. It was Rose's second time finishing runner-up at the British Open, with his first runner-up finish coming at the 2018 Open Championship.