The playoff was solely three holes. Rory McIlroy wanted solely three swings. And but his victory Monday over J.J. Spaun in The Gamers Championship revealed a lot in regards to the state of his sport and the merciless nature of the infamous TPC Sawgrass.
McIlroy delivered an early knockout in opposition to J.J. Spaun along with his greatest drive of the week that arrange a easy birdie, adopted by a three-quarter 9-iron into a chilly, cackling wind that discovered land on the island inexperienced on the par-3 seventeenth.
“Not at all did I’ve my greatest stuff this week,” McIlroy stated after turning into the eighth a number of winner of The Gamers. “However I used to be nonetheless in a position to win one of many greatest tournaments on the earth. That’s an enormous factor.”
It’s the primary time in his profession he has received twice going into the Masters, the foremost that for greater than a decade has stored him from becoming a member of golf’s most elite group with the profession Grand Slam.
Spaun thought he had the right reply till he noticed his 8-iron sail over the island on the second playoff gap, ending his hopes of the largest win of his profession.
“Can I watch this?” Spaun stated as he sat at a desk, his eyes skilled on a tv at the back of the media heart exhibiting a replay of his tee shot on the seventeenth. It was his first time seeing the place the ball landed — simply past the wood body and into the water. He had solely heard groans from the gallery.
And he nonetheless couldn’t consider it.
“I by no means thought it was lengthy,” he stated quietly. “I by no means thought it was lengthy.”
So ended a memorable week at golf’s richest event, the place 1000’s of spectators confirmed up within the chilly and wind for 47 minutes of golf between McIlroy — among the many most celebrated gamers who now has 39 worldwide wins — and Spaun, a 34-year-old with one PGA Tour title who till this week had by no means damaged 70 on the TPC Sawgrass.
McIlroy stated he wakened at 3 a.m. and couldn’t get again to sleep. Whether or not this was about making an attempt to win or making an attempt to not lose — he had a three-shot lead with 5 holes to play within the last spherical Sunday — didn’t matter.
He labored on his tee shot with the identical serving to wind off the precise. To apply in the precise wind for the seventeenth, McIlroy turned and hit balls from the vary towards the third inexperienced.
McIlroy had been spotty off the tee all week, lacking practically half of his fairways. He set the tone along with his better of the week, a 336-yard blast proper down the center that arrange a pitching wedge from 176 yards into the par-5 sixteenth for a two-putt birdie from 35 ft.
“I assumed if I may get the ball within the fairway there, it kind of places somewhat little bit of stress on J.J.,” he stated. “To step up and make that swing was superior.”
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After which it successfully ended on the seventeenth.
“When my ball was within the air, I used to be telling it to get down,” McIlroy stated.
Spaun hit his 8-iron with a better trajectory right into a hurting wind off the precise, and his first intuition was to yell, “Rise up.”
“It simply appeared prefer it was going to be quick,” Spaun stated. “I used to be shocked. I couldn’t consider it was lengthy. I’m proud of the swing I placed on it — I’m. The wind will need to have simply laid down just a bit an excessive amount of, and it simply went via the wind. Wasn’t my time.”
The primary three-hole playoff in 10 years at The Gamers was brought on by a four-hour rain delay on Sunday. McIlroy needed to make a 4-foot par putt on the 72nd gap. Spaun had a 30-foot birdie putt for the win that stopped inches quick.
McIlroy, disillusioned and having misplaced a three-shot lead on the again 9, appeared forward to the playoff by saying, “Make 5 good swings tomorrow morning and get this factor executed.”
Seems he solely wanted three — the motive force and wedge on No. 16, the 9-iron on No. 17 — to beat Spaun and declare the $4.5 million prize from the $25 million purse.
It was harking back to a 2008 playoff between Sergio Garcia and Paul Goydos, again when the seventeenth was utilized in sudden loss of life. Garcia hit the inexperienced. Goydos got here up quick and into the water, and there’s no lonelier stroll than to the drop zone realizing it’s over.
Spaun wound up three-putting from 45 ft for triple bogey. McIlroy ran his 30-footer effectively previous the outlet for a bogey, giving him a three-shot lead. Each hit drives effectively proper on the 18th. McIlroy took a secure bogey and Spaun didn’t hassle placing the 10-footer he had left for bogey.
Any point out to The Gamers being the fifth main and even resembling one isn’t the place McIlroy desires to go proper now as a result of he is aware of the true one — the massive one — is a month away at Augusta Nationwide. The trick now could be to maintain his sport in good stead. He additionally received the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am final month. He plans so as to add yet one more begin in Houston or San Antonio earlier than the Masters.
“All the things feels prefer it’s in good working order on the minute,” he stated. “Simply hold working towards and doing the precise issues and working towards the precise habits, and day after day, week after week, all of them add as much as days like immediately.”
Spaun received $2,725,000 for his runner-up end and moved to No. 25 on the earth rating, excessive sufficient that he’s assured a spot within the Masters.
“ comfort to the week,” Spaun stated.