Rory McIlroy rallies late to win The Players Championship

Heading into the final round on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass, it looked like it was going to be a three-man battle for The Players Championship.

Almost instantly, it turned into anybody’s race.

The final two groups — featuring Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Jason Day — stumbled out of the gates to go a combined 6-over early, opening up the championship to the field.

Yet after several players fought through the pack to grab the lead — including Jhonattan Vegas, Jim Furyk and Eddie Pepperell, who was making his Players Championship debut — it was McIlroy, who made birdie on five of his final 10 holes, who triumphed in the end.

McIlroy finished with a 2-under 70 on Sunday, bringing him to 16-under for the week to take home The Players Championship title.

The win marked his 15th on Tour, and his first since the 2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational. He’s also the third player in history to win a major, The Players Championship, a FedExCup and a World Golf Championship — joining Tiger Woods and Henrik Stenson.

And after being on the cusp of a victory several times already this season — he’s finished in the top six of each tournament he’s played in in 2019, including a runner-up finish at the WGC-Mexico Championship — McIlroy knew he was going to get over that barrier eventually.

“I was just preaching patience. It was just a matter of time,” McIlroy said. “Easier said than done, obviously ... That’s the great thing about golf. You can get straight back on the horse and you have another opportunity the very next week. Not a lot of sports have that luxury.

“I just wanted to take advantage of it. I know I’m playing well. I know I’m shooting the scores and hitting the shots. It’s just a matter of doing it for 72 holes.”

Furyk finished in second place at 15-under, followed by Vegas and Pepperell at 14-under. Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker and Fleetwood finished in a tie for fifth at 13-under.

McIlroy’s back-nine push

After starting just one back heading into the day, McIlroy dropped quickly.

He opened with three straight pars before firing a double-bogey on No. 4, and looked to be quickly out of the hunt.

Yet right at the turn, the Irishman took off. McIlroy made birdie on Nos. 9, 11 and 12 to jump back to 1-under on the day.

Then on No. 15, after driving his ball into the fairway bunker, McIlroy miraculously hit it onto the green and drained the birdie putt.

He kept it rolling on No. 16, too, opening the par-5 with a monster 347-yard drive. He finished with his second straight birdie, giving him a one-stroke lead over Furyk, who was already in the clubhouse at 15-under for the tournament.

McIlroy, unlike so many others, had no trouble finding the iconic island green on No. 17 and cruised to a simple par to maintain his one-shot lead heading into the final hole.

And after a perfect drive right down the middle of the 18th fairway, McIlroy followed it up with a near-perfect approach shot just feet from the cup, all but sealing the deal for the win.

The 29-year-old then finished the hole with a simple two-putt for par to secure the one-stroke win.

“I’m just really proud of myself the way I played the last few holes,” McIlroy said. “I birdied 16, kept telling myself on the way to the 17th tee, ‘Just make three more good swings. That’s all you need to do. Make a good swing here, then two more at the last and this thing’s yours.’ To step up and make those three great swings, it’s very satisfying knowing that it’s in there when it needs to be.”

Furyk gave it a go

Jim Furyk certainly gave it his best effort on Sunday.

The 48-year-old ended up just one shot shy of his first win since 2015, firing a 5-under 67 to finish at 15-under on the week.

Furyk, who opened his day with a bogey, quickly bounced back on No. 2 by draining a 10-foot putt for eagle. After making birdie on No. 5, Furyk held steady and finished out his front nine at 2-under.

He then confidently made birdie on No. 10, grabbing a share of the lead.

While he made birdie on Nos. 11, 16 and 18, the 17-time Tour winner couldn’t quite catch McIlroy.

“I haven’t been healthy in a lot of years,” Furyk said, via Brent Martineau of CBS47. “I haven’t put myself in the heat with a really good opportunity to win a golf tournament in a while. I missed it. I missed the nerves, I missed the excitement, the cheers. I think the emotions on 18, I was just proud of how I played.”

How did Tiger Woods do?

While it wasn’t a rough week for Tiger Woods at TPC Sawgrass, it certainly could have been a lot better.

Woods fired a 3-under 69 on Sunday, marking his first round under 70 all week. He finished in a tie for 30th at 6-under.

Even though it wasn’t the Woods fans had hoped to see in his first week back since he had to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a neck injury, Woods was content with his finish. After how he started the week — and his issues on No. 17 on Friday — he was just hoping for a strong finish on the weekend.

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