'Time Flies' - Justin Rose Celebrates 400th PGA Tour Start At RBC Heritage

Justin Rose will tee it up for his 400th PGA Tour start in the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links this week

Justin Rose at the 2023 Masters
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Justin Rose is now firmly in the stalwart category as he tees it up for his 400th PGA Tour start this week at the RBC Heritage.

It may have been hard to imagine right back in the early days when he endured that infamous run of 21 consecutive missed cuts after turning pro, but he’s gone on to have an incredible career on both sides of the Atlantic.

The 42-year-old won the 2013 US Open at Merion and has topped the pile on both tours, finishing as then European Tour top dog in 2007 and becoming FedEx Cup champion in 2018, while he’s also spent 13 weeks as world number one.

From his first appearance on American soil at the 2002 PGA Championship to him taking up his full PGA Tour card in 2004 – Rose has gone on to play in 399 events overall, winning 11 times, with his latest coming at this year’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Rose will now peg it up at Harbour Town Golf Links this week for the RBC Heritage in what will be the 400th time in an event sanctioned by the PGA Tour.

"Time flies! 400th start on the @pgatour this week!” Rose wrote on Instagram. “As a Brit abroad, I just want to say thanks to all the fans for the support I’ve received over the years.

“I’ve been made to feel very much at home over here! I’m looking forward to many more starts, trophy lifts, and great memories in the years to come!

“My enthusiasm is still there to learn, refine and improve! Lucky to play a sport that offers you that chance to compete for such a long period of time!”

Rose had endured a lean time of things over the last few years, but his win at Pebble Beach not only ended a four-year drought but also showed signs that he was finding his way back.

A T16 finish at Augusta National after getting amongst the leaders all week in The Masters was also a confidence-booster for Rose, who will now be looking onwards and upwards while celebrating his milestone start.

Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.