Justin Rose and Aaron Rai: Of one Major and soldiering on

His only previous trip to India is a blur for Justin Rose. It was 22 years ago, for barely three days to play in a Skins event. A planned destination 40th birthday celebration had to be called off because of the Covid pandemic.

Another interminable wait is to win a second Major. The first had come at the 2013 US Open. Rose added lustre to that phase of his career by winning gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics on golf’s return after 112 years. Since then there have been five second-place finishes, including potentially crushing playoff defeats at the Masters to Sergio Garcia (2017) and Rory McIlroy (2025).

The other two were at the Open (2018, 2024), but well into his 40s, it reflects Rose's fitness, skill and persistence that he went so close in the last two years. And at this year’s Masters, he was leading into the back nine on Sunday before slipping to T3 as McIlroy made it back-to-back.

Thus, it wasn’t surprising that Rose, 46, was asked about the competitive fire burning in him and taking over the unwanted mantle of the Masters nearly man from McIlroy, who shed that tag with his 2025 win.

At a media interaction ahead of the $4 million DP World India Championship starting at Delhi Golf Club on Thursday, the former world No.1 spoke of playing “for the memories”. While acknowledging the depth in elite golf, the 13-time winner on the PGA Tour said: “I have been playing well in the last 2-3 years, but haven’t necessarily lifted the trophy.”

“I will be 47 next year, that shouldn’t be possible (winning top events). But that is possible.”

It is the steel within as well as innovative fitness routines of the former world No.1, who is currently 16. Rose is famous for travelling on the tour with his recovery vehicle fitted with hot and cold plunge, infra-red sauna and a spin bike. “It is time intensive,” Rose says in a YouTube video as he gives a tour of the custom-made vehicle.

On the Augusta near misses, he said: “I can't control what happens at Augusta. I can control my own performance and how I break down the golf course and how I play the golf course. You are never going to skip through your career without a mistake at the wrong time. I've been fortunate to have a lot of things go my way in the biggest moments. So yeah, just keep trusting that you knock on that door. I know how to compete. I know how to close a tournament. I know how to win. You just got to hope that it all lines up the right week.”

Aaron Rai is a different story. As he was completing the US PGA Championship victory in May, McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele were all delighted that a nicer guy on the tour could not be joining their club, that of a Major winner.

The 31-year-old from Wolverhampton is highly regarded for his modesty—he still puts back the covers on his irons, like he did as a boy from modest means to protect the expensive equipment. For the player of Indian origin, being nice and battling it out in a tough sport is about staying humble acknowledging that one’s game “can get better, stagnate or get worse”.

“When it comes to golf and competing and practicing, in my mind being respectful to the game is treating it with the challenge and discipline and hard work that it deserves.

“Golf rewards consistency in different parts of the game. Having goals doesn’t mean they are going to come true.” One has to stick to a “half step by half step process”, says the world No.16.

Two men who will be very popular winners if everything comes together come Sunday.