Justin Rose leaned on a club that’s been one of the most reliable in his bag over the last decade on Sunday at TPC Southwind. In need of some fireworks to get back in the mix, the 12-time PGA Tour winner buried four consecutive birdie putts with a Scotty Cameron T-5 Tour mallet—ranging from 15 feet, 9 feet, 6 feet, to a critical 23‑footer—erasing Tommy Fleetwood’s lead and forcing a playoff with J.J. Spaun.
“I tried to tell myself out there today—the theory of large numbers, and I kind of used this in the past, but if the putts are drying up and if you keep your routine the same and if you keep doing everything the same, over time, you’re going to have your fair share go in,” Rose said. “I was just kind of waiting, playing a waiting game before the hole opened up and I was able to see some putts fall. Fortunately, they began to fall at the right time.”
In extra holes, the putter remained cool under pressure. Rose sank a birdie from inside 12 feet to win on the third playoff hole to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship—his first tour title since the 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
While Rose didn’t find the winner’s circle this season until Sunday, a change to the T-5 mallet in February, at Pebble Beach, coincided with several strong finishes, including a runner-up showing at the Masters.
In addition to a hot putter down the stretch, Rose relied on precise iron play to keep the birdie putts manageable. Asked if there was one shot that he’d remember, Rose pointed to the Titleist 620 CB 6-iron he hit from 205 yards on the par-3 14th hole that started the birdie barrage.
“The 6-iron I hit into 14 was a clutch shot,” Rose said. “[B]ack right pin, had to hit the perfect golf shot in there. That set up the birdie that I needed just to give myself a chance. Played unbelievable golf coming down the stretch. I had so much fun with it.”
Rose is part of a growing contingent of tour pros who currently play a mixed iron setup consisting of cavity-back long and mid irons and blade short irons. The goal behind the setup is simple: add a bump in forgiveness at the top of the set without sacrificing workability in the scoring clubs.
The setup worked wonders for Rose, who’s now in a position to win the season-long points competition and possibly earn an automatic spot on the European Ryder Cup team. Not bad for a Sunday in Memphis.
What Justin Rose had in the bag at the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x (2025)
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (Mitsubishi Diamana WB 63 TX), 9 degrees
Mini driver: TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini, 13 degrees
5-wood: TaylorMade M6, 17 degrees
Irons (4-6): Titleist 620 CB; (7-PW): Miura MC-502
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10 (52-08F, 56-08M degrees); Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks (60K degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom T-5 Tour
