At 45 years old, Justin Rose is playing some of the best golf of his life.
He almost won The Masters in 2025, pushing Rory McIlroy all the way to a playoff hole. Rose then won the St. Jude Championship, played an instrumental role at the Ryder Cup, and then hit the ground running in 2026 with a win at Torrey Pines.
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That victory moved him up to number three in the Official World Golf Rankings, leapfrogging his Ryder Cup partner Tommy Fleetwood. Only Scottie Scheffler and McIlroy are ranked above the Englishman.
One of the biggest challenges of playing in the twilight of your career is maintaining the motivation to compete week in, week out. It’s incredibly impressive to see Phil Mickelson continue to grind on LIV Golf at 55.
But Rose said he won’t be following the six-time major winner’s path, because there’s only one thing keeping him going.
Photo by Karl Anderson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Justin Rose says playing at an ‘elite level’ is the only thing that keeps him going
Rose is back in action two weeks after his win at Torrey Pines, and he’s taking on another iconic coastal golf course. He’s ready to tee off at Pebble Beach this week, a palace where he’s had incredible success over the years.
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He was asked in a press conference what statement he thinks he’s made by rising to third in the OWGR, and Rose replied, “It’s obviously playing at a high level, which is my goal. That’s kind of what I want to be. I want to continue to be playing elite golf. That’s the only reason I want to play golf is to continue to play at an elite level.
“I don’t really just want to be out here for out here’s sake. I’ve got better things to do in my life. I’ve got a busy life, I’ve got people who need me at home as well. So like if I’m out here, I’ve got to be making it count.
“From my point of view, it’s kind of ticking those boxes of what I want my career to be looking like. I did see something, Vijay and Jim Furyk are kind of, they put me in that bracket in terms of being the age group to be in that area of the world ranking, so pretty cool company to be in, obviously both being huge achievers on the PGA Tour.
“Yeah, keeping good company, and that’s obviously what I’m out here to do. Those are the types of comparisons I want to be a part of.
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“At the same time, it’s about playing my game, doing it for me. Like I said, making my own memories and kind of like honoring myself and my own journey and making sure I’m making every moment count out here, which is, it’s awesome, I am enjoying that.”
The motivational tool Justin Rose uses with his trophy cabinet
After winning the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, Rose took to social media to show off his stacked trophy cabinet.
It features a US Open, seven Ryder Cups, and an Olympic Gold medal, among the 13 PGA Tour trophies on his wall.
But in the middle of this display are a couple of blank spaces. Rose uses this as as a constant motivational reminder of the next victory. It keeps his mind focused on the work ahead rather than on the achievements he has already accomplished.
Rose’s ability to still motivate himself to compete against the very best players in the world is his greatest asset at this point of his career, as he chases another major victory in 2026.
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