Brandel Chamblee shares what Rory McIlroy was telling him after their interview had finished following his win at The Players Championship

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Rory McIlroy is a PGA Tour champion once again, emerging victorious at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

McIlroy beat J.J. Spaun in a three-hole playoff at the Players Championship, helped by the latter finding water at the famous 17th island green.

Spaun has been criticised for checking McIlroy’s bag before taking his tee shot, with his playoff chances spiralling out of control from that moment on.

McIlroy had previously put himself under unnecessary stress, blowing a three-shot lead in the final round as Spaun forced a playoff.

But the four-time major champion is now a 28-time PGA Tour winner, having also won at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this season.

Rory McIlroy told Brandel Chamblee a softer ball was key to Players Championship win

Brandel Chamblee thinks McIlroy has a ‘mental hurdle’ in majors, having last triumphed at the 2014 PGA Championship.

But the former has now seen a different side to the latter, with Chamblee writing on X after the Players Championship: “It was a cold but memorable way to cap off the first ‘Live From’ of the year at The Players.

“Rory McIlroy stuck around for a bit after our interview to talk about working the ball and how a softer ball is helping in that regard and integral to his win today.

READ MORE: Rory McIlroy reveals what PGA Tour players all were saying about TPC Sawgrass in the locker room during the break on the final day of The Players

“He’s won 40+ events globally and almost 30 since his last major, but his win at this Players showed a different player who could win from the trees, pine straw and bunkers and without everything going his way.”

Chamblee also noted that the PGA Tour is “off to a great start in 2025”, adding that he thoroughly enjoyed his week of work at TPC Sawgrass with a long list of others.

Rory McIlroy major championship wins as the Masters approaches

McIlroy will, of course, come under the spotlight as the Masters rapidly approaches, having now gone over 10 years since his last major win.

The Northern Irishman enjoyed a superb spell back then, winning the 2011 US Open and 2012 PGA Championship.

READ MORE: Rory McIlroy admits the skill he didn’t have at Augusta last year which he’s now learnt for this year’s Masters

Another PGA Championship and The Open Championship were added in 2014, with the Masters remaining out of touch.

But he is in superb shape ahead of Augusta, with two wins already clinched from just four PGA Tour starts in 2025.