Rory McIlroy became the 8th player to win multiple Player's Championships as he beat out J.J. Spaun in a 3 hole playoff to take home the title at TPC Sawgrass.
It was fitting that McIlroy won what many consider the fifth major on St. Patrick's Day after a 4-hour rain delay on Sunday meant that McIlroy and Spaun were unable to play a playoff hole after their final rounds. The pair played a 3-hole playoff on the final three holes on Monday morning and McIlroy came out firing when he birdied the par 5 16th to take an early lead.
But it was on the 17th where McIlroy had all but won his second title of the year. McIlroy shot first and went out with a 9 iron and hit the green, leaving himself about 30 feet from the hole. Spaun on the other hand shot an 8-iron and it went over the green and into the water, leading to him to score a triple bogey.
Splash for Spaun on 17 💔 pic.twitter.com/Rdj0eYu6nM
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 17, 2025
That meant that all McIlroy had to do was hole out and he did just so with, with a bogey on the 18th being enough for McIlroy to take home his second title of the year. It's the third time that McIlroy has won on St. Patrick's Day and the Holywood man netted a cool $4.5 million prize.
Rory McIlroy wins The Players on St Patrick's Day! 🍀🏆 pic.twitter.com/OQ3eAIFahz
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) March 17, 2025
Speaking afterwards McIlroy talked about how he prepared for his tee shot on 17th, the one which proved to be pivotal in him winning the Players' Championship.
I practiced this shot on the range, I just turned around and basically hit balls towards the third green, just to try replicate the wind I was going to get on 17. I had the trackman out and I have this little 3/4 shot and my 9-iron shot goes around 147 but with the win it was going around that 130 number which was the number I really wanted to hit it on 17. So even before I went up I knew that was the shot I wanted on 17.
I was hard to judge but I had that little 3/4 9-iron shot in my head and made a good swing at it.
Cameras caught J.J. Spaun taking a look at Rory's clubs after his tee shot onto the green. Seeing that Rory had gone onto the green with a 9-iron Spaun went with his 8, only to hit it far and over the green into the water.
The moment you realise you’ve had your pants pulled down #pga #playerschampionship #golf #rory #spaun pic.twitter.com/C5Dc9qoBUE
— Chris Miller (@WindyMiller84) March 17, 2025
Though some thought that McIlory's 9-iron shot may have psyched out Spaun, the American claimed that he felt that he hit the shot perfectly, only for it not to get caught up in the wind. During the press conference Spaun was shown the shot for teh first time and he was in disbelief that the shot went long.
I'm happy with the swing I put on it. I am. The wind must have laid down just a little too much and it just went through the wind
J.J. Spaun couldn't believe his tee shot found the water on 17 during the playoff. 😳
He saw it for the first time during his press conference. pic.twitter.com/QMSw0VWRT0
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) March 17, 2025
With that win Rory McIlroy is in good stead for the Master's in just 3 weeks. Could this finally be the year that McIlroy completes the career slam.
