The Putter That Roared: How Justin Rose Found His Magic Touch in Memphis originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
At 45, Justin Rose captured the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Aug. 10, becoming the oldest winner on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson at the 2021 PGA Championship. Most guys Rose’s age worry about weekend tee times and whether their bodies can handle 72 holes. Rose was busy draining four birdies over his final five holes at TPC Southwind, turning what looked like Tommy Fleetwood’s coronation into his own comeback masterpiece.
Rose’s hot putter forced a playoff with U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, whom Rose outlasted through three sudden-death holes. The victory wasn’t just clutch — it was vintage Rose, the kind of performance that explains why he’s still out here terrorizing fields half his age.
When Experience Trumps Everything
“I played unreal golf going down the stretch,” Rose said. “I had so much fun” — and it showed. Rose rolled in a left-to-right downhill putt at the 17th for his fourth birdie in a row, the kind of pressure putt that separates champions from everyone else.
The Memphis heat wasn’t kind to everyone. Fleetwood played a poor chip at the 17th and missed his par attempt from six feet, dropping him to 15-under and one back of Rose and Spaun. Another close call for the Englishman, who seems to find new, excruciating ways to fall short each time he’s in contention.
But Rose stayed cool. The playoff became a putting clinic. Both players saw potential tournament-winning putts lip out on the first playoff hole, with Spaun rolling in a birdie from 30 feet on the second hole to keep things alive. Rose made amends on the third extra hole, draining a birdie from inside 12 feet to secure the championship.
By the Numbers
Rose gained 3.738 strokes putting in Memphis — seventh-best in the field. He averaged just 1.54 putts per green in regulation, third among all players. Not bad for a guy who’s been fighting his putter all year.
Coming into the week, Rose ranked 65th in strokes gained putting at a pedestrian 0.160. He was 147th in three-putt avoidance. Midrange putts? A struggle. By every measure, his putter looked broken.
Except when it mattered most. Rose averages 27.00 putts per round in final rounds this season — first on tour. Nobody handles Sunday pressure on the greens better.
The three-hole playoff with Spaun was pure proof. Rose rolled in clutch putts, while Spaun’s seven-footer to force a fourth hole sailed wide. The same putter that betrayed Rose for months suddenly became his best friend when a trophy was on the line.
What This Really Means
The win pushes Rose inside the top five of the FedEx Cup standings, ensuring him a spot in the Tour Championship for the first time since 2019. More than that, it’s a statement. While younger players chase distance and technology, Rose proved that course management and putting still win golf tournaments.
Rose birdied four of the final five holes to get in the playoff — the kind of stretch that defines careers.
“When I bring my best, I know I can compete and win against the best players in the world,” he said right after his victory.
Rose has been finishing tournaments for two decades. He knows what 16-under feels like coming down the stretch, knows how to handle the nerves when everything’s on the line. Spaun, despite being the U.S. Open champion, was making his first playoff appearance — taking nothing away from him, but experience matters.
For Fleetwood, who has six runner-up finishes on tour, this one stings differently. He led most of the day on Sunday. But golf doesn’t care about your lead with five holes to play — it cares about who makes putts when the lights are brightest. On Sunday afternoon in Memphis, that was Justin Rose.
The putting numbers tell part of the story, but they miss the human element. Rose didn’t just make putts; he made them when they mattered most, under pressure that would buckle most players. At 45, he’s not just the oldest winner in the playoffs since Vijay Singh — he’s a reminder that in golf, old-school still works.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
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