Rory McIlroy wins the Players Championship after defeating JJ Spaun in a playoff on St Patrick's Day
LUCK OF THE IRISH: Rory McIlroy reacts during a trophy ceremony after winning a playoff round of The Players Championship. Pic: AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson.
Rory McIlroy celebrated St Patrick's Day in style by defeating JJ Spaun in a play-off to win the prestigious Players Championship for the second time.
McIlroy covered the three-hole aggregate play-off in one over par, but that was comfortably enough to beat Spaun in a somewhat anticlimactic finish at TPC Sawgrass.
"I feel bad for JJ, he hit a really good shot on 17 and it just went straight through the wind. I was lucky to do enough to get it done," McIlroy said.
"(I'm) unbelievably proud and happy to win my second Players Championship.
"This is the third time I've won on St Patrick's Day, so it's been a good luck charm for me.
"Watching Scottie (Scheffler) go two in a row last year was unbelievably impressive and I think the only multiple major champions and multiple Players champions are Jack (Nicklaus), Tiger (Woods), Scottie and myself - so it's a pretty nice group to be a part of.
"I feel like I'm a better player now than I ever have been and it's nice to see the fruits of my labour paying off.
"The younger guys coming out are getting better every single year and I need to keep working hard to hang with them. I'm doing a pretty good job of that.
"I feel like I've still got a few years left in the tank."
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A two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th gave McIlroy a one-shot advantage after Spaun could only make par after finding rough off the tee and a bunker with his approach.
McIlroy then safely found the green on the treacherous 17th before Spaun, who looked unsure of his club selection in the windy conditions, flew his tee shot over the green into the water.
The resulting triple bogey effectively ended the American's chances of a second PGA Tour victory, even though McIlroy surprisingly three-putted from 30 feet.
McIlroy also bogeyed the 18th but Spaun still had 10 feet left for his own bogey and did not complete the hole after McIlroy tapped in.
Following his victory in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, it means McIlroy has won twice on the PGA Tour before the Masters for the first time in his career.
The world number two needs a victory in the year's first major championship at Augusta National to complete the career grand slam.
McIlroy had started Sunday's final round four shots behind overnight leader Spaun, but followed a birdie on the first with an eagle from 10 feet on the par-five second after a superb long-iron approach from 230 yards.
He also responded to a bogey on the seventh with a birdie on the eighth and another birdie on the par-five 11th took him to 12 under, a shot ahead of Spaun, before play was suspended due to an approaching storm.
Following a four-hour delay, McIlroy established a three-shot lead after he birdied the 12th as Spaun dropped a shot on the 11th, but the Northern Irishman bogeyed the 14th before Spaun birdied the same hole.
Spaun also birdied the 16th to get back on level terms and almost won the title in regulation as his birdie attempt from 30 feet on the 18th pulled up just three inches short.
