Players Championship runner-up J.J. Spaun revealed that Rory McIlroy offered some classy words after their battle. Spaun, 34, and McIlroy, 35, went head-to-head in a play-off round for the Championship at Sawgrass last week after they both finished on 12-under-par through 72 holes.
In the crucial moments, McIlroy came into his own with a flawless drive down the centre on the 16th, followed by a precise approach onto the famous par-three 17th ‘Island hole’. Spaun’s choice of an 8-iron sent him into the water, while McIlroy skillfully opted for a 9-iron. The world No. 2 claimed victory by a three-stroke margin to secure his second PGA Tour victory of the campaign.
However, the Northern Irishman knew he was made to work hard by the 47th seed, whose performance in the competition was well beyond his ranking. At the start of the final round, Spaun looked to be the favourite to win, as he was leading McIlroy.
When McIlroy won the championship, he quickly found Spaun to tell the Californian that he had earned his respect. In an interview with the Fore Play podcast, Spaun said: “It was just pretty standard. He was like, ‘great playing all week, man’. You know, ‘keep doing it and you’ll be in this spot again’. And I said, ‘thanks man, I’ll get your a** next time’ and ‘congrats’.”
McIlroy’s kind words and empathy towards the US ace proved he hasn’t lost his down-to-earth nature, despite his towering achievements. Heading into the final stretch, Spaun seemed set to grab the glory and the whopping £3.5million top prize when he was sitting four shots clear of McIlroy.
However, McIlroy managed to close the gap and overtake Spaun by a single stroke after 11 holes. The game was then halted due to lightning risks, leading to a lengthy four-hour interruption.
When play resumed, McIlroy hit a rough patch, bogeying the 14th hole and missing birdie opportunities on the 15th and 16th. Spaun nearly clinched victory with an incredible 30-foot putt on the last hole, but it agonisingly stopped just inches short.
Despite the near miss, Spaun expressed satisfaction with his overall performance in the tournament. He said: “It’s hard to not feel discouraged a little bit, but nothing but positives in putting myself in contention and giving myself a chance to win in a play-off.
“If someone told me that would happen to start the week, I would totally take it. Nothing but positives to take from it and hopefully I can just learn from this and get it done next time.”
Recently, Spaun defended his choice of club under scrutiny from critics, who questioned his opting for an 8-iron over a nine. On the same podcast, the Californian said: “I mean, Rory’s two clubs longer than me. He’s one of the longest guys on tour.
“Everybody knows that. And everyone’s [mocking voice], ‘Oh you hit a f***ing 9-iron when this guy hit an 8-iron, what an idiot’. It’s like, you don’t know s***. I’m happy with the swing I put on it. I executed how I wanted to. You know, I was one down, I had to hit a good shot.”
In his post-match interview, McIlroy expressed sympathy for Spaun after seeing his ball plunge into the water hazard. Speaking to Golf Channel, he said: “Wind coming out of a completely different direction.
“I’m just glad we didn’t have to play 18 [holes] in that, three was enough. I feel bad for J.J. He hit a really good shot on 17 and it just went straight through the wind. I was lucky to do enough to get it done.”
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