McIlroy wins by three shots in three-hole play-off
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
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Image source, Getty ImagesWhile Rory McIlroy may be confident, JJ Spaun has accepted he is a huge underdog for the play-off.
But he has certainly not accept he is guaranteed to lose.
A 34-year-old with a sole win on the PGA Tour he has been majestic this week and the best player in the field tee to green.
He also played alongside McIlroy in Saturday's third round and beat him by three shots.
This is far from a formality.
Zane Scotland
Former European Tour player on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
I found that interview a little odd where Rory said he "should be going home with the trophy" after yesterday's round and that "five good swings and I win this".But maybe he's not feeling the pressure we think he's under.
That was only last year in New Orleans with big pal Shane Lowry.
There's a St Patrick's duo to get behind.
Image source, Getty Images
Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass
McIlroy has played in five PGA Tour play-offs and won three of them and lost two. But he's won the three most recent ones.
Image source, Getty ImagesIt's quite the career resume.
Image source, Getty ImagesOK so it wasn't a play-off but on 17 March 2019, Rory McIlroy won The Players Championship for the first time.
Six years on and history could repeat itself.
On St Patrick's Day again too. How do you like those odds?
Image source, Getty ImagesA three-hole play-off, stroke play to decide the winner - and there are fewer better stretches of golf in the world than these beauties.
Hole 16 - an accessible par five, flanked by the water, but playing as the easiest hole at TPC Sawgrass this week.
Hole 17 - a pearl of a par three. It's iconic - and we have seen plenty of contenders ruin their challenge by finding the water here.
Hole 18 - a brutal par four with a gloriously intimidating tee box. Rory McIlroy birded the 18th on days one, two and three. He'd take that today.
If they cannot be split, then it will be sudden death matchplay - starting at the 17th. Shudder.
If this terrific 30-footer from JJ Spaun had rolled over one more time, we wouldn't be here at all.
Rory McIlroy was right to say he probably "ought to have been going home with the trophy" last night given the birdie putts he missed on 15 and 16.
But he ended up mightily relieved this didn't drop.
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Image source, Getty ImagesIf you missed our 12-hour marathon coverage yesterday, you might not know that the final round of The Players Championship was suspended for four hours thanks to an electrical storm in northern Florida.
At that point, Rory McIlroy was on top form and had wiped out his four-shot deficit from round three to lead by one.
He immediately extended that to lead by three coming off the 12th hole but bogeyed the 14th and couldn't find another birdie on the way home.
As daylight faded, JJ Spaun closed in and levelled it up with a birdie on the 16th before almost winning it at the last.
Stuck at 12 under par, they've come back today to settle matters.
Image source, Getty ImagesWell, this is a tasty treat for a Monday lunchtime.
A three-hole showdown to finally clinch the flagship title on the PGA Tour.
Will Rory McIlroy get it done after fluffing his lines down the stretch on Sunday?
Or will the world's number 57 JJ Spaun top a career week with a huge shock at Sawgrass?
Stay with us to find out.
