Northern Eire’s Rory McIlroy cruised to a St. Patrick’s Day victory on the Gamers Championship on Monday (Tuesday AEDT), defeating J.J. Spaun in a playoff at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.
The four-time main champion accomplished the three-hole shoot-out in one-over par, whereas Spaun’s problem wilted after a disastrous triple-bogey on the second playoff gap — the long-lasting and notorious island inexperienced seventeenth.
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“That is the third time I’ve gained on St. Patrick’s Day, so it’s been an excellent luck appeal for me,” McIlroy stated after sealing the second Gamers Championship of his profession and twenty eighth PGA Tour title general.
“I used to be fortunate sufficient to do sufficient to get it accomplished, however unbelievably proud and joyful to win my second Gamers … It’s very nice,” McIlroy added.
“I went house final evening pondering, ‘I ought to have had this.’ However I went house and reset, didn’t have an awesome evening’s sleep, however was fortunate sufficient to get it accomplished.”
McIlroy had completed tied on the high of the leaderboard with Spaun following Sunday’s storm-hit last spherical after failing to carry on to a three-shot lead with 5 holes to play.
However after returning to the course on Monday in brilliant, breezy circumstances, there was no signal of a repeat of the late stumble by McIlroy on Sunday that had allowed Spaun to drive his manner into the primary playoff of his profession.
McIlroy struck first on the opening playoff gap, the par-five sixteenth, crushing a 336-yard drive straight down the green earlier than reaching the inexperienced in two.
Spaun in the meantime appeared out of kinds from the get-go, discovering the green tough off the tee earlier than touchdown his second shot into the greenside bunker.
McIlroy didn’t make his 33-foot eagle putt however calmly rolled in a clumsy five-footer for birdie.
Spaun, whose restoration out of the bunker left him with a protracted, unsuccessful birdie putt, may solely par.
After that early wobble, issues received worse for Spaun on the par-three seventeenth island gap, with the American plunging his tee-shot into the water behind the inexperienced.
‘Can I watch it?’ – Spaun reacts to seventeenth | 01:42
Spaun then missed a protracted 10-foot putt for double bogey and finally completed with a triple-bogey six.
He then relived the second throughout his press convention, recognizing the replay on a tv within the media centre, and he was nonetheless in disbelief.
“I at all times wished to say rise up as a result of it appeared prefer it was brief,” Spaun stated. “I used to be surprised. I couldn’t imagine it was lengthy.”
Whereas McIlroy missed his birdie probability and a 10-footer to save lots of par, his bogey 4 nonetheless left him three pictures clear heading to the 18th.
McIlroy’s tee-shot on the final went nicely broad of the proper fairway, however Spaun was unable to exert stress, additionally going broad of the green.
Each gamers reached the inexperienced in three and missed their par putts. McIlroy coolly tapped in for bogey to seal victory.
McIlroy’s win marked the second title of the season for the Northern Irishman as he construct in direction of the Masters in Augusta subsequent month — the one main lacking from his assortment.
McIlroy stated his early season type was a reward for the exhausting work he has put in through the years.
“I’ve labored actually exhausting — I really feel like I’m a far more full participant than I used to be just a few years in the past,” McIlroy advised NBC. “I really feel like I can play in all circumstances and something that comes my manner. Actually joyful that I used to be capable of get it accomplished in the present day.”
Putt to win Gamers falls brutally brief | 01:15
Spaun in the meantime was left reflecting on a disappointing final result.
“It’s exhausting to not really feel discouraged just a little bit, however nothing however positives,” Spaun stated.
“Placing myself in rivalry and giving myself an opportunity to win in a playoff — if somebody had advised me that may occur initially of the week I’d completely have taken it.
“Hopefully I can simply be taught from this and get it accomplished subsequent time.”