Heading into the 2025 Players Championship tournament at TPC Sawgrass, there wasn’t a hotter golfer in the game than Rory McIlroy. McIlroy, who had an early season win on the DP World Tour and also won at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, seemed determined to have 2025 be the “Year of Rory”.

Coming off the “Year of Scottie”, McIlroy wanted to not just overtake Scottie Scheffler as the No. 1 golfer in the world, but prove he could be dominant from start-to-finish in a calendar year. 2024 saw McIlroy experience plenty of heartache, none larger than his late tournament collapse at Pinehurst No. 2, essentially handing Bryson DeChambeau the U.S. Open trophy.

But that was 2024, and in 2025 McIlroy is already starting to slay some of those proverbial dragons, and it continued in a stunning playoff victory at The Players Championship, the second Players crown he has earned in his career.

The 3-hole aggregate playoff system for The Players Championship has been set in place for years, but rarely does it have to come on another day as Round 4. However, when play was suspended Sunday, McIlroy and J.J. Spaun, both tied a -12 were forced to push the finish of the tournament to Monday.

We’ll never know what might have happened if Spaun and McIlroy went head-to-head on Sunday, compared to Monday, with Spaun playing much better golf at the end of Round 4 compared to Monday. Nonetheless, when the two golfers showed up at 9am EST Monday, it was clear one of the two was experienced in high pressure situations, and the other wasn’t.

The 3-hole aggregate score was for the finishing three holes at TPC Sawgrass. The Par 5 16th, Par 3 island green No. 17, and Par 4 18th. There is plenty of trouble to be had on these three holes, and the two golfers headed to the famed island green with McIlroy already sporting a one-stroke lead after he birdied 16, and Spaun settled for par.

The one-stroke lead would be extended on No. 17 when McIlroy, who had honors, hit a knock-down 9 iron into a safe spot on the green. This put the pressure on Spaun, who took an 8 iron and had to take aim at the pin. Off the club face it looked as if Spaun’s shot would give him a shot at birdie, the 8 iron selected was too much club and his ball sailed over the green and into the water.

By the time the two players headed to 18, McIlroy had a dominant 3-stroke lead, and was able to casually walk to his second Players Championship. But while McIlroy was able to claim victory, it wasn’t easy. After the playoff he spoke about the challenging conditions Monday morning.

“Wind coming out of a completely different direction (this morning),” McIlroy told NBC. “I’m just glad we didn’t have to play 18 in that – three was enough! 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, but unbelievably proud and happy to win my second Players Championship and I think this is the third time I’ve won on St. Patrick’s Day, so it’s been a good luck charm for me.

“I’ve worked really hard. I feel like I’m a way more complete player than I was a few years ago, even in conditions like this … I feel like I can play in all conditions and anything that comes my way.”

Nonetheless, McIlory still eyes Scheffler as the mark he hopes to surpass in 2025, knowing more work has to be done to match Scheffler’s incredible 2024 which saw him win The Players, The Masters, and several other signature events, including the 2024 FedEx Cup.

“I know I need to be better if I want to compete with him,” McIlroy said. “I’ve knuckled down, I’ve worked hard and it’s nice to tie him with this, and Tiger (Woods) and the five other players to win this multiple times.”

This is the first time in McIlroy’s career that the 35-year-old has won two titles in a year on the PGA Tour before the Masters – which takes place in April – the one major he is missing from his résumé.

Rory puts the Players Championship behind him, and now he eyes the only major he hasn’t been able to capture, and that’s The Masters in just three weeks. Will he be able to slay that dragon this year? Only time will tell…

Jeff Hartman is the host of the Fairways & Dreams, where he talks about the latest news and reports in the game of golf. Check out the latest episode in the podcast player below: