Rory McIlroy is back on top.
The 35-year-old golfer won The Players Championship on Monday morning in a three-hole playoff against J.J. Spaun at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.
While it's not one of the four majors, this tournament is often considered the unofficial "fifth major."
McIlroy, who has won The Open Championship (2012, 2014), PGA Championship (2014) and U.S. Open (2011), has now won The Players Championship twice (2019, 2025).
Monday's head-to-head battle between McIlroy and Spaun wasn't particularly close. The Northern Ireland native began his St. Patrick's Day with a birdie on the par-5 16th hole, while Spaun settled for par.
Spaun lost control of the round on the iconic "Island Green" 17th hole. McIlroy shot first, landing on the green, but Spaun's shot went straight into the water. McIlroy three-putted for a bogey with the greens playing fast, but Spaun's triple-bogey put him three shots behind heading to the final hole.
On the 18th hole, both players went way to the right on their drives with wind whipping into their faces. They each spot back onto the fairway with their second shot before McIlroy put the finishing touches on his victory with a third shot that landed within a few yards of the hole. He two-putted to finish the playoff at 1-over, clinching the win over Spaun.
The victory was the 28th of McIlroy's career and his second of 2025 after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February.
The Players Championship has a $25 million purse, the largest of any PGA Tour event. McIlroy will earn $4.5 million for his win and Spaun will get $2.72 million as the runner-up.
