McIlroy delivered an early knockout blow with his best drive of the week, setting up a straightforward birdie. He then executed a perfect three-quarter 9-iron into a strong, swirling wind, safely landing on the island green at the par-3 17th.
“By no means did I have my best stuff this week,” McIlroy admitted after becoming the eighth multiple-time winner of The Players. “But I was still able to win one of the biggest tournaments in the world. That’s a huge thing.”
McIlroy’s Steady Climb Toward the Masters
This marks the first time in McIlroy’s career that he has won twice before heading into the Masters—the one major standing between him and golf’s most elite club: the career Grand Slam.
For Spaun, it was a heartbreaking finish. He initially thought his 8-iron shot on the second playoff hole was perfect—until he saw it sail past the island green and into the water, ending his hopes of the biggest win of his career.
Sitting in the media center, Spaun replayed the moment on TV. “Can I watch this?” he asked, still in disbelief. He had only heard the gallery’s groans. Now, he saw the ball’s final resting place.
“I never thought it was long,” he said quietly. “I never thought it was long.”
A Battle of Nerves at Sawgrass
The Players Championship, golf’s richest tournament, drew thousands of spectators despite the cold and wind. The final showdown lasted just 47 minutes, pitting McIlroy—now with 39 worldwide victories—against Spaun, a 34-year-old with just one PGA Tour title and no prior sub-70 rounds at TPC Sawgrass.
McIlroy admitted to waking up at 3 a.m., unable to sleep. Was it nerves about trying to win or fears of losing? It didn’t matter. He worked on his tee shot with the same crosswind and practiced shots mimicking the wind conditions at the 17th.
He had struggled off the tee all week, missing nearly half his fairways. But when it mattered most, he unleashed a 336-yard drive down the middle of the 16th fairway, setting up a two-putt birdie from 35 feet.
“I thought if I could get the ball in the fairway there, it would put a little bit of pressure on J.J.,” McIlroy said. “To step up and make that swing was awesome.”
Then came the 17th, the hole that would decide the tournament.
A Costly Shot for Spaun
McIlroy nervously watched his 9-iron shot, willing it to “get down” as it landed safely on the island green. Spaun, on the other hand, misjudged his 8-iron. A higher trajectory and a slight shift in the wind sent the ball long—past the wooden bulkhead and into the water.
“I was stunned,” Spaun said. “I couldn’t believe it was long. I’m happy with the swing I put on it—I am. The wind must have just laid down a little too much, and it just went through.”
It was a moment reminiscent of the 2008 Players Championship, when Paul Goydos suffered the same fate against Sergio Garcia on the 17th.
Spaun finished with a triple bogey after a three-putt from 45 feet, while McIlroy, already in command, made bogey to secure the title.
Eyes on Augusta
The first three-hole playoff at The Players in a decade was forced by a four-hour rain delay on Sunday. McIlroy had nearly let the tournament slip away after blowing a three-shot lead with five holes to play. But after saving par on the 72nd hole and watching Spaun’s 30-foot birdie attempt stop inches short, McIlroy had one goal in mind:
“Make five good swings tomorrow morning and get this thing done.”
Turns out he only needed three—the driver and wedge on 16, and the 9-iron on 17—to claim the $4.5 million prize from the $25 million purse.
With the Masters a month away, McIlroy isn’t entertaining comparisons between The Players and golf’s four majors. His focus is clear:
“Everything feels like it’s in good working order at the minute,” he said. “Just keep practicing the right habits, and day after day, week after week, they all add up to days like today.”
Spaun, meanwhile, took home $2.725 million for his runner-up finish and secured his place in the Masters, a silver lining in an otherwise painful defeat.
“A good consolation to the week,” he said.