Rory McIlroy admitted he was nervous about closing out victory before continuing his impressive start to the season with a play-off win at The Players.
McIlroy had overturned a four-stroke deficit to open a three-shot lead with six holes to play of a weather-affected final round at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday, only to stutter along the close stretch and finish level with JJ Spaun on 12 under.
The pair returned on Monday morning for a three-hole play-off, where McIlroy birdied the par-five 16th before back-to-back bogeys were enough to close out victory after Spaun triple-bogeyed the par-three 17th.
Here’s the moment JJ Spaun saw his Players Championship hopes ended with a triple-bogey at the par-three 17th
McIlroy said he struggled to sleep ahead of his Monday finish and was anxious about closing out victory, but hopes the win can inspire him to more success over the rest of the season.
“It was stressful,” McIlroy admitted. “I’m super happy, super proud to win this event for a second time. Honestly, standing over that tee shot on 16 this morning is the most nervous I’ve been in a long time.
“I think that will stand to me, feeling like that and being able to hit the golf shots that I need while your stomach is sort of not feeling great and your legs are a little shaky and your heart-rate is racing.
Rory McIlroy reflects on his triumph at The Players Championship, where he beat JJ Spaun in a play-off at TPC Sawgrass
“To have to go through that today, it’s nice to have that in recent memory for some of the tournaments coming up for sure.”
The world No 2 had missed birdie opportunities on the 15th and 16th on Sunday before leaving himself a tricky two-putt to save par at the last and set the clubhouse target, which was only enough to head into the play-off when Spaun narrowly missed his birdie chance at the last.
“I was nervous. I was really nervous,” McIlroy told Sky Sports about his putt on the 72nd hole. “Especially having missed opportunities on 15 and 16. Even the putt on 18, the light was fading and I was sort of struggling to read them.
Highlights from Sunday’s action at The Players, where Rory McIlroy and JJ Spaun finished tied for the lead to take the tournament into a play-off
“If anything, I thought the putt was going to go slightly left. I hit it straight and firm to just take any break out of it, but if anything it went slightly right. I was lucky I hit it firm enough for it to hold.
“That was that was a huge part of a huge two-putt from 73 feet. I’m lucky that JJ’s putt was a couple of revolution short to give me this opportunity this morning [to win the play-off].”
Wayne Riley looks ahead to The Masters and whether Rory McIlroy could complete a career Grand Slam after the World No 2 won The Players Championship
How losses have ‘helped McIlroy learn’
McIlroy is the first two-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, having claimed four worldwide victories after a 2024 campaign that included major heartbreak and numerous runner-up finishes.
He let a two-shot lead slip over the last five holes of the US Open, where he bogeyed three of his last four holes to allow Bryson DeChambeau to claim a one-shot victory, before failing to convert a four-stroke lead during the final round of the Amgen Irish Open.
Rory McIlroy came close to winning the Dubai Invitational, the US Open, the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship in 2024, but he ultimately fell just short in all four tournaments
The 35-year-old also finished second again a week later at the BMW PGA Championship, losing out to Billy Horschel on the second extra hole, although McIlroy believes that performance sparked a change in fortunes over the following months.
“I think that [Wentworth] was sort of like the turning point,” McIlroy added in his press conference. “Then I did some work on my swing after Wentworth, that sort of October, and went into the two Middle East events at the end of the year and was able to win that one.
“I feel that period, like October, November, was a pretty important one. I was able to do some good work on my swing and then test it out pretty much straight after in a couple of tournaments. I feel like that’s obviously carried into this year.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m making those mistakes at the critical times like I was previously. I think a big part of that was just learning from those mistakes. It’s a long career. You have to stay incredibly patient. Some of those losses have helped me learn what to do when I’m in those positions.”
More to come from McIlroy?
McIlroy’s victory follows his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am success last month and marks the first time that he will enter The Masters having already won twice on the PGA Tour in that calendar year.
He will be among the favourites to win the opening major of the year at Augusta National, which would see him become just the sixth player – and first since Tiger Woods – to complete the career Grand Slam.
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Asked if his best golf could be yet to come, McIlroy told Sky Sports: “Absolutely. I don’t think I should be out here if I didn’t believe my best golf was in front of me.
“I want to try keep improving and getting better and it’s the reason that, after 16 or 17 years out here, I’m still doing it.”
On where he will play next before The Masters, McIlroy told reporters: “I think three weeks going in [without playing] is a little too much. I’ll play one of the events in Texas, whether it’s Houston or San Antonio, I’m not sure.”
Watch Rory McIlroy in PGA Tour, DP World Tour and major action throughout the year live on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
