In a round that had more twists and turns than a Philly cheesesteak line, Justin Rose delivered a jaw-dropping finale at the PGA Championship that could keep him playing through the weekend.
The 45-year-old Englishman's second-round scorecard read like a rollercoaster ride—four bogeys, three birdies, two double bogeys, and one unforgettable eagle that saved his tournament. Standing just feet from the edge of a fairway bunker on his final hole, Rose dug deep with his wedge, watching his ball take three delicate bounces on the green before tracking perfectly into the cup for an eagle 3. It was the kind of shot that reminds us why we love this game.
That spectacular finish moved Rose to 3-over par, right on the cut line, and likely punched his ticket to the weekend in his 24th appearance at this championship. With the cut projected around 4-over, the veteran found a way to keep his tournament alive when it mattered most.
Rose is no stranger to making magic in this area. He won the 2013 U.S. Open at nearby Merion, claiming victory at a course where he'd finished second in the 2018 BMW Championship. He also picked up his second PGA Tour title at Aronimink in the 2010 AT&T National. It's safe to say the Philadelphia crowd has a soft spot for him.
The round was classic Rose—a career defined by highs and lows, grit and grind. After missing the first 20 cuts of his career, he went on to become a major champion, Olympic gold medalist, and has enjoyed a resurgent mid-40s run with multiple runner-up finishes in recent majors.
Friday started rocky, with Rose driving into a bunker on the difficult 10th hole and needing two swings to escape, leading to the first of his two double bogeys. What followed was pure chaos: birdies at 12 and 16 sandwiched between a bogey, double-bogey, and another bogey, closing his front nine at 4-over 39.
The back nine brought more drama. After three straight pars, he birdied before stumbling again with bogeys at 6 and 8, tumbling down the leaderboard. But on the par-5 ninth, everything clicked. His 310-yard drive found the fairway, and his 267-yard second shot set up that magical wedge that will be replayed for years.
For Rose, it was another chapter in a career built on never giving up—and a reminder that in golf, the story isn't over until the last putt drops.