Rose blooms among the azaleas as superb back nine keeps him in Masters contention

Justin Rose all but played himself out of Masters contention after five holes of his third round on Saturday before putting together a superb back nine that hoisted him right back into it.

The 34-year-old Florida-based Englishman started the day in joint second place, seven shots back off leader Jordan Spieth and looking to quickly cut into that margin.

Instead, bogeys at the first and fifth had him going the other way and slipping off the leaderboard.

A word with his caddie, and a decision to fully commit to his shots, turned the tide and a sensational five birdies in the last six holes propeled him up the leaderboard with a 67.

Rose ended the day alone in second place, four shots behind Jordan Spieth, and gave him a spot in the final pairing on Sunday at the Masters for the first time.

“A slow start, couple over through five and again had to shake it off and regroup,” he said.

“I guess the key moment for me was I was talking with my caddie and I said, ‘Listen, we just need to be a little bit more committed. The wind can swirl. Even though it’s five mile an hour wind, it’s very difficult to pick it if it’s a little bit down, little bit into.’

“That sort of changed the momentum for me. From that moment on, I was very committed to my shots. I guess I played patient golf and got rewarded at the end.”

Rose will be seeking a second major title on Sunday having won the 2013 US Open at Merion. On that occasion, he came from two shots back of leader Phil Mickelson to win by two from Mickelson and Jason Day.

There were things he learned that day that he intends to employ on Sunday when he goes out with Spieth.

“I just remember being very patient, very focused. Just believing it was a 72-hole tournament. Playing one shot at a time, not getting ahead of myself and also not being scared to lose.

“You have to put it on the line and you’ve got to make committed, aggressive swings under pressure. That’s what I’m going to do tomorrow.”

At Merion, Rose became the the first Englishman to win the US Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970 and he was England’s first major champion since Nick Faldo at the 1996 Masters.

A victory on Sunday would be the first for an Englishman at Augusta National since that same Faldo win in 1996, while it would be the first by any European since Jose Maria Olazabal three years later.

But it won’t be easy, Rose said, adding how impressed he has been with the play of 21-year-old Spieth, who has led the tournamemt from the start.

“He has made great birdies on tough holes. He’s birdied number 12. He’s birdied number 16 today. Obviously he has taken care of the par fives very well. So he’s done all the right things so far,” Rose said.