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PONTE VEDRA BEACH — Welcome to the club.
The names: Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, Steve Elkington, Hal Sutton, Davis Love III, Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler… and now Rory McIlroy, latest in the exclusive list of multiple winners at The Players Championship.
Surrounded by crowds in green, McIlroy notched a 1-over 13 to win Monday's three-hole aggregate playoff, while watching opponent J.J. Spaun blast his ball into the blue waters surrounding the Island Green, at a virtual wind tunnel at The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
Spaun's miscue — he ultimately staggered to a triple bogey — provided more than enough of an opening for the golfer from Northern Ireland, who hoisted his second Golf Man trophy on St. Patrick's Day.
McIlroy reaps the rewards, and they are substantial: 750 FedEx Cup points, a $4.5 million first-place purse and eligibility for majors for the next three years.
The playoff was all but over once Spaun, already down a stroke, launched his tee shot at the 17th over the Island Green and in with a solid splash, the first time he had hit water all week.
McIlroy, 35, overcame shaky putting down the stretch Sunday, howling gusts above 30 mph for the 9 a.m. Monday morning start and the perils of the Stadium Course's notoriously taxing three-hole finish.
McIlroy, second in the World Golf Ranking, entered with four major championship and 27 titles on the PGA Tour — a world away from the experience level of Spaun, ranked 57th with only one Tour victory at the 2022 Valero Texas Open.
Still, McIlroy had sputtered down the stretch on Sunday, letting a three-shot lead in the last five holes slip away. The two had deadlocked at 12-under 276 at the conclusion of Sunday's thunderstorm-delayed fourth round, when Spaun's putt at No. 18 parked only inches short of the cup.
Confronting 30-mph wind gusts to start the three-hole playoff on the par-5 16th, McIlroy set the tone.
The four-time major champion smashed a 336-yard drive down the left fairway and approached to within 33 feet, where he two-putted for birdie and a quick one-stroke advantage.
For Spaun, Monday brought misery on the course.
At 16, he found rough to the right off the tee, and his second barely cleared the water before bouncing into the short greenside bunker. His chip came up 22 feet shy of the hole, a birdie putt likewise came up short and he settled for par.
After finding water on 17, Spaun's third spun back into the fringe 42 feet from the hole, and he ultimately finished with triple bogey. Though McIlroy's woes on the green continued, three-putting from 42 feet, the favorite seized a three-stroke advantage entering the 18th.
At 18, McIlroy and Spaun both missed far right off the tee. Both played out diagonally to the fairway, with McIlroy eventually making bogey and Spaun double-bogey.
The playoff was the first to decide The Players since 2015, when Rickie Fowler overcame Kevin Kisner and Sergio Garcia.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Players Championship 2025: Rory McIlroy wins in Monday playoff
Continue reading...
The names: Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, Steve Elkington, Hal Sutton, Davis Love III, Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler… and now Rory McIlroy, latest in the exclusive list of multiple winners at The Players Championship.
Surrounded by crowds in green, McIlroy notched a 1-over 13 to win Monday's three-hole aggregate playoff, while watching opponent J.J. Spaun blast his ball into the blue waters surrounding the Island Green, at a virtual wind tunnel at The Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
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Spaun's miscue — he ultimately staggered to a triple bogey — provided more than enough of an opening for the golfer from Northern Ireland, who hoisted his second Golf Man trophy on St. Patrick's Day.
McIlroy reaps the rewards, and they are substantial: 750 FedEx Cup points, a $4.5 million first-place purse and eligibility for majors for the next three years.
The playoff was all but over once Spaun, already down a stroke, launched his tee shot at the 17th over the Island Green and in with a solid splash, the first time he had hit water all week.
MCILROY JOINS HISTORIC LIST
McIlroy, 35, overcame shaky putting down the stretch Sunday, howling gusts above 30 mph for the 9 a.m. Monday morning start and the perils of the Stadium Course's notoriously taxing three-hole finish.
McIlroy, second in the World Golf Ranking, entered with four major championship and 27 titles on the PGA Tour — a world away from the experience level of Spaun, ranked 57th with only one Tour victory at the 2022 Valero Texas Open.
Still, McIlroy had sputtered down the stretch on Sunday, letting a three-shot lead in the last five holes slip away. The two had deadlocked at 12-under 276 at the conclusion of Sunday's thunderstorm-delayed fourth round, when Spaun's putt at No. 18 parked only inches short of the cup.
Confronting 30-mph wind gusts to start the three-hole playoff on the par-5 16th, McIlroy set the tone.
The four-time major champion smashed a 336-yard drive down the left fairway and approached to within 33 feet, where he two-putted for birdie and a quick one-stroke advantage.
You must be registered for see images attach
For Spaun, Monday brought misery on the course.
At 16, he found rough to the right off the tee, and his second barely cleared the water before bouncing into the short greenside bunker. His chip came up 22 feet shy of the hole, a birdie putt likewise came up short and he settled for par.
After finding water on 17, Spaun's third spun back into the fringe 42 feet from the hole, and he ultimately finished with triple bogey. Though McIlroy's woes on the green continued, three-putting from 42 feet, the favorite seized a three-stroke advantage entering the 18th.
At 18, McIlroy and Spaun both missed far right off the tee. Both played out diagonally to the fairway, with McIlroy eventually making bogey and Spaun double-bogey.
The playoff was the first to decide The Players since 2015, when Rickie Fowler overcame Kevin Kisner and Sergio Garcia.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Players Championship 2025: Rory McIlroy wins in Monday playoff
Continue reading...
