The Players Championship LIVE: Rory McIlroy beats JJ Spaun in dramatic three-hole play-off
The world No 2 comfortably won the play-off after Spaun found the water on the 17th and the Northern Irishman claimed a memorable St Patrick’s Day triumph
Rory McIlroy comfortably beat unheralded American JJ Spaun in a three-hole Monday play-off to decide the winner of The Players Championship after a dramatic day on Sunday had seen the Northern Irishman let slip a three-shot lead.
McIlroy, who was bidding for his second title at TPC Sawgrass in what is colloquially known as ‘golf’s fifth major’, went into Sunday’s final round four strokes behind Spaun but an exceptional start saw him move three ahead with six holes to play, despite a four-hour weather delay due to the threat of lightning. But the world No 2 missed chances to stay ahead and Spaun made up the ground, leaving them both 12-under after 72 holes when play was suspended due to bad light, requiring a Monday return for a three-hole play-off.
With the lowest aggregate score over the 16th, 17th and 18th holes determining the winner, McIlroy piped his first drive down the middle of the 16th fairway to lay down a marker and when Spaun sent his response into the rough, it seemed to set the tone.
McIlroy’s birdie on the 16th put him a stroke ahead and when Spaun found water with his tee shot on 17, it was all but over. He would go on to triple bogey the hole and the Northern Irishman nursed his three-shot lead up the 18th to become The Players champion for the second time after his 2019 success – setting him up for a tilt at that elusive Masters title in three weeks’ time.
Follow all the action with The Independent’s live blog here:
McIlroy vs Spaun - hole 17
It’s all over now, you’d think. Spaun swings his double bogey putt and it stays high. Rolls in the triple bogey - disastrous for the underdog.
McIlroy misses his par putt as the ball slips left of the hole up the hill. He taps in for bogey but still has a three-shot lead up the 18th. Surely there’ll be no mistakes from here...?
After second of three play-off holes:
- McIlroy: -E
- Spaun: +3
McIlroy vs Spaun - hole 17
Spaun actually tries a chip to take out the first slope - delicate shot and it’s decent but he’s still got the best part of 12 feet for a double bogey.
McIlroy takes his birdie putt, surely just a lag up to the hole... Sets it on course and that’s got some legs. Slips just past the hole and keeps on running, and running. Suddenly he’s left with a six-footer for par!
After first of three play-off holes:
- McIlroy: -1
- Spaun: E
McIlroy vs Spaun - hole 17
Spaun pitching from the drop zone after finding the water. And even that’s not a great chip - you feel the occasion has got to the American.
The ball spins back and comes to rest up against the fringe of the green, probably 30 feet from the hole. That’s not an easy two putt from there, given the curve of rough between him and the hole and a two-putt would be a double bogey...
McIlroy in complete control of this play-off now and has one hand on the Players Championship trophy
After first of three play-off holes:
- McIlroy: -1
- Spaun: E
McIlroy vs Spaun - hole 17, Spaun finds the water
It’s on to the iconic 17th hole - one of the most famous holes in world golf. The par three with the island green. A watery grave on all sides if you err.
McIlroy has the honour - no need for heroics with the one-shot lead. He clips his iron safely towards the back of the green, lovely tee shot. Probably 20 feet or so away.
All the pressure now on Spaun. Discussion with his caddy. He’s got to take this flag on really... 8 iron in hand, and OH NO! Disaster for Spaun. His ball flies over the back of the green and lands in the water. It never touched dry land. That, you fear, could be that for the American.
After first of three play-off holes:
- McIlroy: -1
- Spaun: E
McIlroy vs Spaun - hole 16
Spaun takes his birdie putt first, from around 20 feet. Up the hill and he doesn’t hit it. Three feet short - slightly cautious.
Chance for McIlroy to take a lead on the first hole in this matchplay scenario. Six feet or so, maybe. And McIIroy makes it! Birdie on the first hole of this play-off for the favourite - calmly rolled in.
Spaun tidies up his par but he now trails by a stroke.
After first of three play-off holes:
- McIlroy: -1
- Spaun: E
McIlroy vs Spaun - hole 16
Spaun splashes out of the greenside bunker but it doesn’t release and roll down to the hole as intended. It’s ok but nothing more. Outside chance of a birdie
McIlroy is about 35 feet away and set his eagle putt trundling towards the hole. He wants it to swing left to right but it doesn’t turn and races past the hole. That’s not a great putt - work to do for the birdie
McIlroy vs Spaun - hole 16
Spaun playing first and out of the right rough, he pushes it. His heart will have been in his mouth as it looked headed towards the water down the right but bounces on dry land and lurches forward into the bunker. That will be a bit of a relief for the underdog.
Meanwhile, after a mega drive, McIlroy is only left with 180 yards into the green - that’s just a flick of the 9 iron for the Northern Irishman. Decent enough shot, safely into the heart of the green and he’ll have a long-range look at an eagle. He’s chewed up a 540-yard par five with a drive and a 9 iron - very impressive.
Very much advantage McIlroy
McIlroy vs Spaun - hole 16
McIlroy picks the driver out of his bag for this opening drive. The 16th is a par five and McIlroy is trying to eat up as much of the distance on the hole with one shot.
Flushes it down the middle of the fairway. A marker laid down to JJ Spaun.
Spaun also taking driver and his drive bounces on the short stuff but takes a couple of bounces into the rough. He’s well back of McIlroy - advantage to the Northern Irishman
Rory McIlroy vs JJ Spaun - The Players Championship play-off
OK, we’re not far away from the McIlroy vs Spaun showdown getting underway. It’s a glorious morning at Sawgrass and this should be a lot of fun.
They’re milling about on the 16th tee as we speak. Remember, they’ll play the 16th, 17th and 18th and the player with the lowest aggregate score from those holes will win.
Rory McIlroy - as the player who finished his final round first - will have the honour and tee off first on 16.
McIlroy tries to match 2019 Players Championship success on St Patrick's Day
If you’re looking for good omens for McIlroy this afternoon, then his only previous Players Championship title - won back in 2019 - also came on St Patrick’s Day.
A thrilling final round at Sawgrass saw McIlroy recover from an early double bogey to card a closing 70 and finish on 16-under, one stroke ahead of Jim Furyk, who missed out on becoming the oldest winner in tournament history.
Birdies at 15 and 16, before safely negotiating the tricky 17th and 18th were enough for the Northern Irishman to pip Furyk’s clubhouse target and he admitted that winning ‘golf’s fifth major’ was a huge moment for him.
McIlroy said: “It’s very special. I just tried to treat it like any other day. Even though I’ve had all those close calls this year, they didn’t mean anything. If anything they were good for me, I called them ‘remote misses’, it gives you even more hope to go forward and go again. I think all those experiences this year led me to this point and ultimately they were good for me because it got me over the line today.”
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