Rory McIlroy celebrated St Patrick’s Day by winning his second Players Championships – and then claimed he is “a better player now than ever” before his latest bid to claim a Green Jacket. The Ulsterman returned to Sawgrass yesterday to beat JJ Spaun in a three-hole playoff and bank the $4.5m first prize.
He now has 28 PGA Tour titles but this is the first time that the Pebble Beach champion has won two before the Masters. And before his l1th attempt to complete his career Grand Slam in Augusta, the world No.2 said he had been inspired by defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler to raise his game.
“I am in good form, I am playing well,” he said. “ I feel like I’m a way more complete player than I was a few years ago. I feel like all aspects of my game are under control. I feel like I can play in all conditions and anything that comes my way
“I feel like I’m a better player now than I ever have been, and it’s nice to see the fruits of my labour paying off.
“Scottie has been on an unbelievable run and I think it has inspired all of us to try to be better. I know I have to be better if I want to compete with him.”
McIlroy might be a better all-round player but his driving was not up to its usual standard in Sawgrass. In blustery winds, he hit only 28 out of 58 fairways over five days to become only the second winner to hit under half of fairways.
“I did it a different way this week,” he said. “I had to putt and chip well. I played a lot of good escape shots from the pine straw. By no means did I have my best stuff this week, but I was still able to win one of the biggest tournaments in the world. That’s a huge thing.”
McIlroy, who plans to play one more event before Augusta, also showed his mental fortitude by draining a tricky four-foot par putt on the 72nd hole in the dark on Sunday night. He missed two short putts at the US Open to see his Major drought approach the 11-year anniversary this summer.
“The U.S. Open was hard,” he admitted. “The Irish Open was hard. “It doesn’t feel like I’m making those mistakes at the critical times like I was previously. I think a big part of that was just learning from those mistakes.”
The two men had finished the weather-delayed fourth round locked together on 12-under par late on Sunday evening. But the three-hole playoff was an anti-climax as McIlroy smashed his opening drive 336 yards downwind at the par-five 16th before making a two-putt birdie.
The world No.2 safely found the 17th green with his 9-iron before Spaun’s 8-iron flew over the putting surface and into the water. The new world No.25 said: “It was the perfect club – I guess I hit it too good.”
It is the third time the Ulsterman has won a PGA Tour title on March 17. After the 9am start, McIlroy said: “It feels strange to win a golf tournament at 10:00 in the morning and I feel like I can’t have a drink yet. It is St. Patrick’s Day, though.”
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