We’ve got free Monday golf in Ponte Vedra!
When J.J. Spaun’s birdie putt on the 18th hole on Sunday at the Players Championship stopped just short of the cup, it meant a three-hole playoff for the PGA Tour’s flagship event was certain.
Here are nine things you need to know about the playoff for the Players Championship between Spaun and Rory McIlroy on Monday.
Who is in the playoff for the Players Championship?
Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun are the last two players remaining after 72 holes at TPC Sawgrass. Both players finished regulation at 12-under 276.
McIlroy is one of the faces of the sport with four major victories and 27 PGA Tour titles, including earlier this year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He will be a heavy favourite. Spaun is a one-time winner on the PGA Tour, earning his maiden title at the 2022 Valero Texas Open, but has consistently featured on the PGA Tour over the last few years, earning at least three top tens in each of the last four seasons.
When is the playoff?
The playoff begins at 9:00 on Monday morning. It should take at least 45 minutes but could go longer as needed. Golf Channel and Peacock will carry live coverage beginning at 9 a.m.
What holes will be used for the playoff?
The most famous three-hole stretch at TPC Sawgrass—the par-5 16th, par-3 17th, and par-4 18th—will be used for a three-hole aggregate playoff. Both McIlroy and Spaun will complete those three holes before a winner is crowned. If the pair are still tied, they will return to the 17th for sudden death. The two pros will continue looping the final three holes until a winner is determined.
The tee and hole locations will remain the same as in the final round. Whilst the conditions will be different, during the final round, the 16th hole played as the easiest on the course, with three eagles and 32 birdies, whilst the 17th ranked as the third hardest and the 18th was the second most difficult, yielding just one birdie.
How did McIlroy and Spaun play those holes this week?
McIlroy on 16: -1
Spaun on 16: -3
McIlroy on 17: +1
Spaun on 17: E
McIlroy on 18: -3
Spaun on 18: +1
What are McIlroy and Spaun’s career playoff records?
McIlroy: 3-2
Most Recent: 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans (w/Shane Lowry), def. Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer
Spaun: 0-0
How many playoffs have there been at the Players?
This is the sixth playoff in Players Championship history:
1981: Raymond Floyd def. Barry Jaeckel and Curtis Strange
1987: Sandy Lyle def. Jeff Sluman
2008: Sergio Garcia def. Paul Goydos
2011: K.J. Choi def. David Toms
2015: Rickie Fowler def. Kevin Kisner and Sergio Garcia
The playoff at the Players was sudden death until 2014, when the three-hole aggregate playoff was introduced. This is the second time it has been used, the first being in 2015.
What would a win mean for McIlroy?
A win for McIlroy would make him the eighth multi-time winner of the Players Championship, joining the likes of Tiger Woods and two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler, amongst others.
McIlroy would also pick up his second win of the season, which would be the first time he’s won twice before the Masters since 2019, the last year he won the Players.
It would be career PGA Tour win No. 28 for the World No. 2, moving him into a tie for 20th all-time with Leo Diegel and Paul Runyan. He would also be the sixth consecutive winner of the Players to start the week ranked inside the OWGR top 10.
It would also put a cap on a strange week for McIlroy, which began with a high-profile gear switch back to his old driver and fairway woods. He later had a bizarre incident where he was heckled by a college player and then took the player’s friend’s phone.
What would a win mean for Spaun?
A win for Spaun would be life-changing as he had a down year in 2024, finishing just inside the top 100 of the FedEx Cup rankings. He would secure his PGA Tour status through the 2030 season with the five-year exemption.
At No. 57, Spaun would be the lowest-ranked Players Champion since 2017, when Si Woo Kim won.
What is the difference in payout?
The winner of the playoff will receive the $4.5 million first-place prize, the richest in professional golf. The runner-up will still earn a sizeable $2.725 million payday, a difference of $1.775 million.
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