Rory McIlroy’s bid for a second Players Championship will continue into a fifth day. He may well be relieved by that; in the final significant moment of day four, JJ Spaun came within inches of claiming the PGA Tour’s marquee event. Instead, the two will return on Monday morning for a three-hole playoff. McIlroy remains the clear favorite, but Spaun, with nothing to lose, poses a serious challenge.
As is often the case with McIlroy, the day was filled with drama. He began Sunday four shots behind the lead, but within five holes, he had pulled level. A four-hour weather delay then interrupted proceedings. Upon resumption, McIlroy birdied the 12th to take a three-shot lead. However, a finish of one over par in the closing six holes, coupled with birdies from Spaun on the 14th and 16th, ensured extra holes would be required.
“It was a battle all day,” McIlroy reflected. “I feel like I should be going home with the trophy tonight, but that’s fine. I’ll reset and hopefully go home with the trophy tomorrow.”
The closing two holes at the Stadium Course often determine the outcome, and Sunday was no exception. McIlroy was frustrated by a par at the 17th after his tee shot landed awkwardly, but he recovered with a superb iron shot into the center of the 18th fairway. From there, he left himself 73 feet short of the hole but managed a solid two-putt. Spaun, meanwhile, also made par at 17 but found pine straw off the tee on 18. His approach left him a 30-foot attempt for victory, but the putt stopped agonizingly short. Spaun signed for a 72, McIlroy a 68, leaving both tied at 12 under par. The nearest challengers—Tom Hoge, Lucas Glover, and Akshay Bhatia finished at 10 under.
Robert MacIntyre produced another impressive top-10 finish with a round of 69 but was left frustrated after dropping shots at the 15th and 18th. His expectations have risen to the point where even a strong finish leaves him wanting more.
Elsewhere, Scottie Scheffler’s dominant run came to an end. Aiming for a third consecutive Players Championship title, he faltered with a final-round 73. Reflecting on his performance, Scheffler admitted there was work to do. “I walk away from this week feeling close,” he said. “I feel like there’s some stuff that I need to work on at home, but I feel very close.”
