Rory wins ugly

A win is a win, but getting it done without your “A game,” says a lot. Rory McIlroy won The Players Championship at the iconic TPC Sawgrass by beating JJ Spaun in a three-hole aggregate playoff on Monday.

That it needed a playoff finish is something that Rory could have helped in his final round.

Starting four shots behind the leaders in the final round, McIlroy began his charge early, with a birdie-eagle start, gaining three shots on the leaders just in his first two holes.

By the 8th hole, he was tied with JJ Spaun atop the leaderboard at -11. A couple more birdies at holes 11 and 12 and Rory found himself three shots ahead with five holes to go. That should have been all she wrote.

With none of the top contenders in sight, it seemed like he could easily cruise to a comfortable win, as his closest pursuers struggled.

But a misbehaving driver and a mediocre putting round saw Rory lose his lead coming down the stretch. He failed to birdie the par 5 16th and limped home, with a missed birdie putt on the last from JJ Spaun giving him a slot at the Monday playoff.

If Rory had been firing on all cylinders, he would have secured the win on Sunday. He needed some grit and some luck to have a chance at winning. On Monday however, with the three-hole playoff starting on the dog-leg par 5 16th, his first shot set the tone. He pummeled his opening drive, with his signature high draw down the fairway, leaving only a short iron to the green.

Seeing Rory nail his drive probably unsettled JJ Spaun. Rory hit his second, a pitching wedge from 176, onto the green for a two-putt birdie. Spaun could only manage a par.

Rory was up by one heading into the treacherous island green 17th. During the post-round interview, Rory said he practiced the tee shot for the 17th at the range, hitting soft 9 irons into the wind, the same conditions he expected to encounter on the penultimate hole. Just as expected, Rory’s tee ball on the 17th landed on the fat side of the green, carrying a little past flag-high, safely on.

Needing to make up some ground, JJ Spaun tried to fade an 8 iron against the wind, wanting to give himself a makeable putt for birdie. Whether it was adrenaline or a sudden lack of headwind, his tee shot never touched land and sailed the green into the water behind. After a disastrous triple bogey, Spaun headed to the last 3 shots behind.

Rory’s win wasn’t pretty, but it was still a win. It’s his second this year, after his victory at Pebble. He still needs to improve his putting, driving, and mental game, though. But being able to pull it off when you aren’t playing your best should give Rory some confidence heading into The Masters in a month.

Augusta sets up well for Rory, but it also gives him nightmares. In 2011, as the hottest prospect on the tour, he came into the back 9 of the final round at Augusta with a commanding lead.

The following collapse could have broken him mentally, but Rory showed resilience. After that tough Masters, he bounced back to dominate the US Open at Congressional just a few months later.

The Rory of today is a completely different person, but like in 2011, he needs a major to take him out of a slump.

Despite all his talent, Rory hasn’t won a major in over 10 years, with his last victory coming at the 2014 PGA Championship. He has come agonizingly close several times, most recently at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. His near miss at the 2022 Open at St. Andrews likely still stings.

Being the poster boy of the PGA Tour, and being very opinionated has put added pressure on him. But if he buckles up and focuses on his golf, I am sure he could win more majors. He has the talent. His head and his mouth, however, seem all over the place.

I see him as the Phil Mickelson of his generation, equipped with all the skills and abilities, but just can’t keep his head on just the golf. Rory should be dominating.

Instead, he’s stuck fighting his demons, fighting other people’s battles, having an opinion on everything and everyone.

While it’s nice and refreshing that a top-tier athlete can be honest, Rory, at 35 years old, should focus more on living up to his potential. His views and opinions can wait until he’s no longer winning.

Rory, just like world number one Scottie Scheffler can win every time he tees it up. He just needs to remind himself what and why he’s there for. He needs to conquer his fear of losing and relieve the pressure by dominating the first three rounds and just cruising on the final day.

That’s how Tiger did it. I hope Rory can find the missing link this year, and hoping he does in The Masters to complete the career grand slam. He should have done it years ago, but he can still achieve it if he overcomes his biggest hurdle — the space between his ears.