JUSTIN Rose overcame a slow start to claim a share of 14th place at the Masters yesterday.

The 33-year-old from Hook began his campaign at Augusta with a four-over-par round of 76 but hit back on the second and third days to give himself an outside chance of claiming the title going into the final round.

Rose was 10th at the start of proceedings, four shots off the lead, but he endured an up-and-down round and was never able to get a run going, eventually shooting 74 (+2) to finish one-over-par, nine shots behind winner Bubba Watson.

The north Hampshire golfer got off to a poor start on day one and was four-over-par after just seven holes. Things got worse as he slumped to +6 after 12 holes but he recovered with birdies at 13 and 15 to card 76 (+4).

Rose went out on day two knowing he needed to shoot a good round in order to avoid missing the cut at the Masters for the first time. He made an eagle three at the par-five eighth but was level for the day after 16 holes, right on the cut line.

The former Robert May’s School pupil stood up to the pressure excellently, making birdies at the final two holes to ensure that he would stay for the weekend.

Rose then made his move up the leaderboard on Saturday, pitching in for an eagle two at the par-four third and making a further eagle at the par-5 13th on the way to a three-under-par round of 69.

It was a round than gave the US Open champion a chance of claiming his second major title, but it was not to be. Rose was always scrambling throughout his final round, and while he managed to get to level par for the day with birdies at 13 and 14, he followed up with a bogey at 15 and a double bogey at 16.

A birdie at 17 saw him card a round of 74 (+2) and finish in a tie for 14th on +1, a result that saw him slip to 11th in the world rankings.

Rose is next in action at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which gets under way next Thursday.