Justin Rose Shines at FedEx St. Jude Championship

GERMANTOWN, Tenn. – At 44 years old, Justin Rose continues to impress on the golf circuit, showcasing his commitment to the game. He’s currently among the oldest competitors in the FedExCup Playoffs, thanks to a couple of top-10 finishes in major tournaments this year, including a runner-up at the recent Open Championship held at Royal Troon.

After his success, Rose decided to take some well-deserved downtime. He celebrated his birthday on July 30, attended a Justin Timberlake concert in Belgium, and caught up with friends in Portugal. “This year has felt like a bit of a grind; all my weeks off have been quite hard-working,” he mentioned after shooting a first-round 66 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Rose reflected on his two recent rounds of golf during his break, emphasizing their importance for shaking off the rust before the Playoffs. Although he missed the cut at the Wyndham Championship, playing those rounds helped him avoid a tiring 36-hole Sunday after Tropical Storm Debbie caused delays.

Starting Thursday in Tennessee, Rose is projected to climb from 55th to 37th in the FedExCup standings with his strong performance, sitting just two strokes behind the leader, Chris Kirk. His short game was particularly impressive, as he managed to get up-and-down all six times he missed the green.

The goal for Rose, as always, is to break into the top 50 in the FedExCup to qualify for next week’s BMW Championship, leading towards the TOUR Championship. Interestingly, his journey this season took a turn when he chose to compete in a 36-hole qualifier for this year’s Open Championship, despite having had a rough start that included missing cuts in four of five tournaments prior to that.

His determination paid off; after finishing second at Royal Troon, Rose made a significant jump in the rankings, landing from 76th to 52nd in the FedExCup standings.

During the first round of the tournament, Ben Griffin, who was his playing partner, also shot a 66 and is on track to move up the standings. Griffin’s game was steady, recovering well from a double bogey on the 14th hole to finish strong with two birdies.

As the competition heats up, other players like Harris English and Nick Taylor are also putting up solid scores, hoping to sneak into the top 50 and secure their spots in the upcoming events. Meanwhile, up-and-comers like Tom Kim and Mackenzie Hughes are looking to make an impression and fight for their rankings.