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Justin Rose has rarely passed up a chance to make a young fan’s day. From handing a supporter his golf ball after winning the Farmers Insurance Open to writing back to a young fan 23 years ago, Rose has built a reputation for going the extra mile. This week at TPC Southwind, he added another chapter to that reputation with a 9-year-old St. Jude patient named Robbie.

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The moment was shared by the FedEx St. Jude Championships account on X, captioned, “Meet Robbie.” A huge golf fan, Robbie was invited inside the ropes during a practice round and given the chance to become Rose’s caddie for a stretch of the back nine, beginning at No. 11. The conversation they had is now winning hearts.

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It starts with Justin Rose introducing himself and asking what Robbie plans to do during his summer break. Robbie first introduced himself by telling Rose he’s nine years old, earning a very befitting reply.

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Rose then continued to hand his bag over to the small boy, asking if he could drag it across the fairway. As they made their way around the hole, he began giving Robbie a few lessons along the way, including how to read the wind by watching the clouds and understanding the direction of the south wind. Sure, a small detail, but it is important given how easily the flag can deceive golfers about where the breeze is actually coming from.

After the hard-hitting lessons, as they approached the water guarding the hole, Rose kept the mood light with a joke.

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“The only upside of carrying a player who finds trouble is a lighter bag. The only good thing is that if you’re carrying and your player hits the water, it means the bag gets lighter.”

From there, the conversation turned to golf itself. The 2013 U.S. Open champion asked Robbie whether chipping or driving was the strongest part of his game before turning the question on himself. He admitted his iron play has generally carried his career while his putting comes and goes. He even used the moment to pass something bigger than a swing tip, telling the young boy that enjoying the game now matters more than any technical detail.

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Rose told him, “If you want to be pro one day at some point, you’re going to have to work really hard. And you’ll only work hard if you love it.”

For him, it’s important to be creative, mess around in bunkers, and not get too structured too early. And he is saying this from experience, given he started really early. Then, Justin Rose walked Robbie through a short putt.

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“When you’re tapping in, really pick a small hole, like you want it right in the middle of the hole. Aim for that little point there,” he told him as Robbie watched him admiringly as he dropped the putt before sending him off with a “Good job, buddy.”

The FedEx St. Jude Championship has raised more than $86 million for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since the tournament’s partnership began in 1970. And moments like these are what keep the mission going. Robbie’s afternoon on the bag may have ended in the evening, but it’s unlikely to fade from his memory for a long time.

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Written by

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Roshni Dhawan

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Roshni Dhawan is a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the financial and human side of the professional game. Her reporting centers on player earnings and tournament economics, from net-worth profiles of pros such as Sahith Theegala to the prize-money breakdown at the 2026 U.S. Open, alongside explainer features that introduce readers to the tour's lesser-known names, including her profile of Harry Higgs. She also reports on everything that define a tournament week, covering on-course conduct, rules decisions, and the fan and media reaction that follows, with much of her 2026 work centered on the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Roshni's background is in research and brand strategy, which informs the accuracy and structure she brings to her coverage. She works methodically, prioritizing verification and the detail that a strong earnings or profile piece depends on.

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Sagarika Das

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