Justin Rose secured his 12th PGA Tour win on Sunday, edging out U.S. Open champion JJ Spaun in a playoff at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, with caddie Mark Fulcher earning a percentage of his winnings
Justin Rose was victorious at the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Sunday(Image: Getty)
Justin Rose and his caddie Mark ‘Fooch’ Fulcher raked in a hefty payday following their triumph at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, but their reunion might not have happened if it weren’t for the golfer’s wife.
Englishman Rose clinched his 12th PGA Tour win on Sunday, narrowly defeating U.S. Open champ JJ Spaun in an electrifying playoff at the FedEx St. Jude, hosted at TPC Southwind. The 45-year-old pocketed a cool $3.6 million for his stellar performance.
Caddie Fulcher is expected to take home around 10 per cent of this prize money, roughly $360,000, according to general estimates. However, this windfall might not have been possible if Rose’s wife Kate hadn’t intervened to get the band back together with a phone call in 2023.
The 2013 U.S. Open victor and his caddie initially had a brief split in March 2019, with Fulcher stepping back to recover from heart surgery. But after a successful 11-year collaboration, the duo decided to go their separate ways later that year in light of Fulcher’s health concerns, reports the Mirror.
Following the caddie’s exit, Rose had several others carry his clubs, including Gareth Lord, David Clark and Josh Cassell, and while Fulcher returned to looping for the likes of Francesco Molinari and Billy Horschel, he and Rose remained split.
In 2023, Rose’s wife, Kate, took the initiative to reach out to Fulcher’s spouse, Adrienne, in an attempt to bring the pair back together. This inspired both Rose and Fulcher to join forces once again, just in time for the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Fulcher reunited with Rose two years ago(Image: Getty)
“‘Does Fooch fancy coming back? The old boy’s a bit miserable,'” Fulcher reminisced about Kate’s call. “And I think my wife was saying, ‘My old boy’s a bit miserable, he’s drinking too much wine and sitting on the couch,’ so why not come back?
“Mrs Rose gets what Mrs Rose asks for, and she’s amazing. She’s always been a huge backer of me. We got to Wentworth and got to the house and it didn’t feel like those years had gone past at all.”
Fulcher and Rose reunited professionally in September 2023, with the caddie sharing: “It’s been 15 years since I started working for him, and obviously he’s more experienced.
“But he hasn’t changed his personality on the golf course. I think it’s an amazing challenge and I’m grateful to come on board with that journey with him again.”
The duo celebrated their first Tour victory since the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open with a win at the FedEx St. Jude, clinching the title after pushing Rory McIlroy to a playoff at the Masters in April. Following their triumph, Fulcher posted a succinct message on Instagram, stating: “Ty (thank you) St Jude’s.”
Rose showcased remarkable consistency throughout the weekend in Memphis, kicking off with a stellar round of 64. He maintained his momentum with rounds of 66, 67, and 67, leading to a sudden-death playoff against Spaun after narrowly missing a 13-foot putt for the outright win, alongside a visibly disappointed Tommy Fleetwood, who began the final round as the leader.
The 45-year-old dazzled in the playoff, sinking two birdies to edge out Spaun. Rose opened up about his unwavering confidence, confessing post-victory: “That was an amazing last 90 minutes. I never stopped believing.
“I played unbelievable golf coming down the stretch and had so much fun with it. When I bring my best I know I’m good enough to play against the best players in the world. I get nervous like anyone, but when it matters, I still rise to it.”