Rory McIlroy outlasted JJ Spaun over a three-hole playoff to win his second Players Championship title on Monday morning.
Spaun agonisingly sent his tee shot at 17th long over the green and into the water which would prove a costly mistake for the world No 57, having already gone a shot behind McIlroy on the 16th hole.
The Northern Irisman also showed a few nerves and wasn’t as clinical with his putter as he would have liked, but closed out the match with a bogey on the 18th to win the 28th PGA Tour title of his glittering career.
It is also the 35-year-old’s second PGA Tour title of the 2025 season, with the three-time FedEx Cup winner coming into a brilliant vein of form just three weeks out from this year’s Masters.
‘I’ve worked really hard, I feel like I’m more of a complete player now,’ McIlroy said.
‘I feel like I can play in all conditions and anything that comes my way. I’m really happy I was able to get it done today.
‘I’m really proud of my body of work,’ he added. ‘I’ve tried to get better every year. The younger guys are getting better each year and I’m doing my best to keep up. And I feel like I’ve got a few good years ahead.’
Rory McIlroy claimed his second Players Championship title and his second PGA Tour win of the season on Monday morning
The Northern Irishman beat JJ Spaun (pictured) over a three-hole play-off, with the American finding the water on the par-three 17th
It is McIlroy’s 28th PGA Tour title and second this year, with the 35-year-old Northern Irishman coming into a brilliant vein of form three weeks out from this year’s Masters
The 35-year-old was also pressed on whether he feels his best golf was still ahead of him, to which he replied resolutely: ‘Absolutely.
‘I don’t think I should be out here if i didn’t think my best golf was in front of me. It’s the reason why I’m still out here doing it.’
It was a tough ending to a brilliant week for Spaun, who was chasing his second PGA Tour victory and was also playing in the first playoff of his career.
‘I feel for J.J,’ McIlroy said. ‘He’s had a great week. To have it end that way for him was hard to see.
‘But he’s playing great, and I’m sure he’s got some really good things coming up.’
Spaun, the 2022 Valero Texas Open winner, had the chance to clinch the tournament on Sunday with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th but couldn’t slide the shot home, with the world No 57 agonisingly leaving his putt short, before tapping in for par to take the tournament to a playoff.
But the playoff was perhaps a disappointing end to his time at Sawgrass, with the American star impressing this week.
It was a tough defeat for Spaun (left) who was competing in only his first-ever play-off and for his second PGA Tour title
With 20mph hours swirling above the 17th hole, Spaun clubbed up to an eight-iron and sent his ball long over the green into the water
‘It was the perfect club on 17th,’ Spaun said when pressed on whether he had clubbed up too much on 17. ‘I just hit it too good. I hit a great shot but it did not work out in my favour.
‘It’s hard to not feel discouraged a bit but I have to take the positives.
‘If you had said I was going to be in a playoff to win, I would have taken that. I just have to take the positves.’
Inclement weather forced a halt to proceedings on Sunday afternoon, with PGA Tour bosses suspending play for four hours, with McIlroy and Spaun finding themselves tied at the top of the leaderboard at 12-under par, following 72 holes of golf.
The sun shined down on TPC Sawgrass after stormy conditions swept through Florida yesterday but a cold 20mph wind caused issues for both players as they made their way around the 16th, 17th and 18th holes.
McIlroy got off to a rocky start on the 16th, teeing off first but landed a monster drive right next to a divot on the fairway.
It would though, not prove too much of a problem for the six-time Race to Dubai winner, who pitched a nine-iron onto the green on the par-five before tapping in for a birdie while Spaun tapped in for par.
McIlroy was composed, taking a shot lead on Spaun after the 16th hole before going on to play a brilliant tee-shot on the 17th and a stunning approach on the 18th to set himself up for the win
It meant that McIlroy took the honour heading onto the tee at the infamous par-three 17th. While the wind swirled into the faces of both players, the four-time major winner dropped his ball onto the heart of the green with a terrific tee shot.
With the pressure on, Spaun could not respond. Sending his tee shot into the drink before chipping on from the drop zone.
McIlroym, though, was errant with his putter which was perhaps not indicative of his week with the flat stick. He sent his birdie putt long past the hole and couldn’t slide his next in for par. Spuan would go on to card a treble bogey.
With a three-shot lead going into the 18th, McIlroy sliced his drive long and right into the trees on the right of the lake, while Spaun followed, sending his tee-shot into the patrons on the right flank of the fairway.
McIlroy then dropped a 134-yard approach onto the green, before two-putting to card a bogey on the last to win the Players Championship.
Taking inspiration from Scottie Scheffler
McIlroy now joins the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler to become one of eight players to win multiple Players Championship titles.
Having watched Scheffler demolish the field in 2024, picking up nine victories and back-to-back Players Championship titles, McIlroy admitted he had felt inspired by the world No 1.
‘It is really nice to win, seeing what Scottie did last year going back to back has really inspired a lot of us to be better,’ McIlroy said.
‘I’m unbelievably proud. I went home yesterday thinking I should have had this in the bag but I reset and got it done today.
‘I did it a different way this week – I had to chip well and putt well and a lot of good recovery shots.
‘It is a great feeling to know that different parts of my game can bail me out when I need it.
More to follow…
