It became apparent from the very early stages of the three hole playoff between Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun that the Northern Irishman was ready to do what was needed to secure his second Players Championship title.
Rory McIlroy joined the illustrious list of names to win twice at TPC Sawgrass. The writing appeared to be on the wall for J.J. Spaun after he found the water off the 17th tee. And while the 35-year-old would make a bogey on the last, it was more than enough to win the playoff.
McIlroy has made another real statement ahead of the Masters. He had already won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am earlier this year. And he has now two wins ahead of travelling to Augusta National next month.
With Scottie Scheffler still struggling to rediscover his best form again, it really feels as if it could be incredibly open at the first major of the year.
Rory McIlroy urged to avoid mistake ahead of the Masters after winning the Players Championship
McIlroy obviously has plenty of scars from his trips to the Masters over the years. So it is hard to know how important his current form is going to be by the time he heads down Magnolia Lane.
But he has been offered some advice ahead of the Masters. Speaking on Sky Sports, Paul McGinley suggested that he was even more impressed by McIlroy winning when he did not quite have his A game. Meanwhile, Andrew Coltart warned the four-time major champion against any complacency.
“Rory has not been at his best this week and that is what is so impressive about this victory. Normally he has to be firing on all cylinders to win, it hasn’t been the case this week,” McGinley said.
“I think he does [need to play another tournament]. I think three weeks off is far too much for him. He has just about tried and tested every other variation of it in his preparation and I think if he can take his mind off winning a Masters for the first time for as long as possible that would stand him in good stead,” Coltart replied.
How McIlroy has prepared for the Masters in recent years
McIlroy has varied his schedule up over the last few years, so it is difficult to know what he has planned for the coming weeks. He is not set to be in the field for the Valspar Championship in the coming days.
However, he has played in the Valero Texas Open in both 2022 and 2024 in the build-up to the Masters. And speaking to Sky, McIlroy did confirm that he will probably play again before teeing it up at Augusta.
“I don’t know. I am trying to rack my brain,” he said, as he was asked whether he has ever been in a better headspace. “I have had good starts to the year before and, yeah, look I am in good form and playing well. I feel like all aspects of my game are pretty much under control. I just have to keep working hard and keep my head down. I will probably have one more start before the first major of the year and it’s another opportunity to just refine bits which I feel like need refining.”
He missed the cut in Texas three years ago before going on to finish second at Augusta. Meanwhile, he followed last year’s third place finish by ending up tied for 22nd in Georgia.
It does perhaps show that McIlroy’s form on the PGA Tour has only a small impact on what he then does on the biggest stages.
However, there appears to be something just a little different about this version of McIlroy.
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