"It's bugged me a little bit" - Justin Rose eyes long-awaited East Lake return after hot FedEx St. Jude Championship start

Following his good start at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Justin Rose said that his goal was to make it to the Tour Championship this time. He added that it had been concerning to him that he hasn't played at East Lake for a while.

On Thursday, August 7, Rose carded a 6-under 64 in the opening round to tie for third. He picked up seven birdies against a bogey to secure his position after Day 1 action at TPC Southwind.

During his post-round interview, Rose said that he was proud of his FedEx Cup record, but this time he had an extra goal beyond just qualifying.

"I think it's bugged me a little bit that I haven't been back to East Lake in a few years," he said. "So that's definitely a goal of mine. We all know how important top 50 is. Top 30 is a little bit of a cherry on top of everything. That would be a big goal for me.

"Obviously, if you play well in these tournaments then you can start to think about obviously the bonuses that are in place the next couple weeks, but East Lake is a great golf course for me, so if I get there, I feel like I have a great chance there."

The 45-year old golfer last played at the Tour Championship in 2019, and he has also missed the past two BMW Championships.

When will Justin Rose tee off at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Round 2?

Justin Rose is paired alongside Sam Burns for the second round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The duo will tee off on Friday, August 8 from the first tee at 11:50 a.m. CDT.

The second day’s action at TPC Southwind will begin on Friday, August 8, with Jhonattan Vegas and Max Greyserman teeing off from Hole 1 at 7:20 a.m. CDT. Erik van Rooyen and Cam Davis will be in the final pairing of the day and will tee off at 1:15 p.m. CDT.

Following the first round, Justin Rose is two strokes behind Akshay Bhatia, who shot his career-low 62. Tommy Fleetwood was one stroke back, while Rose was tied alongside Harry Hall and Bud Cauley.

Here's a look at the leaders at the FedEx St. Jude Championship 2025 after Day 1:

1. Akshay Bhatia: -8
2. Tommy Fleetwood: -7
T3. Harry Hall: -6
T3. Justin Rose: -6
T3. Bud Cauley: -6
6. Si Woo Kim: -5
T7. Maverick McNealy: -4
T7. Ben Griffin: -4
T7. Russell Henley: -4
T7. Rickie Fowler: -4
T7. Collin Morikawa: -4

About the author

Shobhit is one of Sportskeeda’s most seasoned golf journalists, having already authored 3600+ articles and received nearly 5.7 million reads. Prior to his current role, he worked with the Asiana Times after completing his MSc in Geology, giving him a solid foundation in understanding the terrain, variety and challenges posed by various golf courses.

He is a keen follower of the sport and keeps himself updated about the latest trends, news and updates via social media and various news platforms. Shobhit is also methodical about accuracy, going through multiple articles from leading media houses and reputed sources before writing his own. Simultaneously, he specializes in writing reader-friendly content that conveys the necessary information in simple language.

Shobhit was a fan of Tiger Woods growing up, but of late, Nelly Korda, Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg have caught his attention.

He likes to spend his downtime singing and writing, while he is also an avid watcher of cricket and tennis.

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti