Rory wins 2nd Players Championship

TPC Sawgrass seldom disappoints, and we were witness to some phenomenal golf when Rory McIlroy successfully navigated the 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th holes to beat JJ Spaun in a tense playoff.

Heading into the final day, JJ Spaun was sat in the lead on -12, with McIlroy four shots back on -8, but a glorious 68 on the final day for McIlroy and a steady round of even par for Spaun saw the pair tied on -12 at the end of play on Sunday. With the light fading, a proceeding playoff between the two was scheduled to commence at 9am on the Monday.

McIlroy took the lead early on by making a birdie on the par-5 16^th hole while Spaun lagged with a par. The island green 17^th hole held a positively electric atmosphere that proved to be too much pressure on the American as his tee shot landed in the water while Rory found the green. McIlroy walked off the 17^th having made a 4 while Spaun struggled with a 6.

Sealing the deal on the iconic 18^th hole, Rory’s lead was so great that he secured victory with a tap-in bogey, denying the world number 57 any dreams of winning this year at Sawgrass.

The victory over Spaun saw Rory heading to the podium and holding the golden Players trophy with joy. The Northern Irishman remarked how much the win meant to him, as well as having the luck of the Irish on his side:

“I am unbelievably proud and happy to win my second Players. It’s the third time I’ve won on St Patrick’s Day. It’s been a good-luck charm for me.”

Rory is in top form right now, and with the Masters just around the corner in a few weeks’ time, is he gearing up to dominate at Augusta? If you’re heading to the course yourself this week, we’re available to help you with any golfing enquiries in the pro shop.