JJ Spaun was looking for his second career victory on the PGA Tour. He stepped up to putts on hole 18 in the wild final round at the Player Championship on a rainy Sunday.
There were several more rotations on his putt, and he would have won it all.
Instead, he faced Rory McIlroy for a three-hole playoff Monday morning to decide who would win this signing tournament.
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JJ Spaun responds to missing a putt to win in the final round of the Players Championship Golf Tournament held at TPC Sawgrass. (Jeff Swinger-Imagn image)
McIlroy and Spaun went 12 under, following Sunday's final round. This is a long day when the rain slows for 4 hours.
The round was forced to be delayed due to weather and lightning in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. This was expected given the tournament increased tee time to avoid potential extensions through Monday.
However, it was inevitable in the range of delays (1:15pm to 5:15pm) and how golfers would finish the final round.
Rory McIlroy picked up the college golfer's phone after a moment in the Player Championship
For McIlroy, he finished 18 holes first, so he hoped that a 74-foot miracle would bring a birdie to his final hole. He had right speed, but he missed it well and eventually won him to clean up for par to finish at 4 under 68 and win the tournament.
McIlroy went to sign the scorecard, looking closely at what Spaun was doing with the group behind him.
Spaun came to this final round on Sunday and wanted to post another standard round, but he struggled to move on despite seeing a 12 under in his name at tee time.
He started out with two overs with two overs before posting 37 in the nine holes. However, he bogeyed at 12 o'clock, forcing the scorecard to two overs before finally seeing a golf shot go his way.
Rory McIlroy is on the 18th green after missing the first putt in the final round of the Player Championship Golf Tournament at TPC Sawgrass. (Jeff Swinger-Imagn image)
Spaun made birdie holes with 14 and 16 and eventually returned to 12 under in the tournament, heading for the iconic TPC Sawgrass Island Green at 17. However, his tee shot hit modestly in the middle of the green on Sunday, rather than seeking a pinout on the far right.
Spaun took two putts to get a par and realized that his fate could be sealed in some way in Hole 18.
When McIlroy saw from the clubhouse, Spaun's final tee shot of the day went into the straw on the right of the fairway and tricked it out after trying to bring it to the rough rock.
However, despite the grass slipping, Spaun was able to hit a nice approach shot to see birdies better from the outings over 20 feet.
Rory McIlroy and JJ Spaun will determine the winner of the 2025 Players Championship in the 9am playoffs Monday morning. (image)
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As the fans swarmed around No. 18 Green, Spaun stepped into his putt and placed a good stroke on it as the ball turned to the truth towards the hole. However, it didn't have enough juice, so several rotations were short and Spaun couldn't believe it.
With tap-in, the playoffs will be set on Monday, with holes 16, 17 and 18 that will determine the winner of this year's Player Championship.
As for PGA Tour careers, it's David vs. Goliath, as McIlroy owns 27 victories on Spaun's tour.
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