Rory McIlroy’s St Patrick’s Day delight gives him perfect Masters springboard

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Rory McIlroy celebrated St Patrick’s Day in style by defeating JJ Spaun in a play-off to win the prestigious Players Championship for the second time and set himself for a tilt at the Masters in three weeks’ time.

McIlroy covered the three-hole aggregate play-off in one over par but that was comfortably enough to beat Spaun in a somewhat anticlimactic finish at TPC Sawgrass.

Following his victory in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, it means McIlroy has won twice on the PGA Tour before the Masters for the first time in his career. The world No 2 needs a victory in the year’s first major championship at Augusta National to finally complete the career grand slam and end an 11-year major drought.

A two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th gave McIlroy a one-shot advantage after Spaun could only make par having found rough off the tee and a bunker with his approach.

McIlroy then safely found the green on the treacherous 17th before Spaun, who looked unsure of his club selection in the windy conditions, flew his tee shot over the green into the water.

The resulting triple bogey effectively ended the American’s chances of a second PGA Tour victory, even though McIlroy surprisingly three-putted from 30 feet.

McIlroy also bogeyed the 18th but Spaun still had 10 feet left for his own bogey and did not complete the hole after McIlroy tapped in.

Rory McIlroy claimed The Players Championship for the second time as a perfect warm-up for the Masters (AP)

McIlroy had started Sunday’s final round four shots behind overnight leader Spaun, but followed a birdie on the first with an eagle from 10 feet on the par-five second after a superb long-iron approach from 230 yards.

He also responded to a bogey on the seventh with a birdie on the eighth and another birdie on the par-five 11th took him to 12 under, a shot ahead of Spaun, before play was suspended due to an approaching storm.

Following a four-hour delay, McIlroy established a three-shot lead after he birdied the 12th as Spaun dropped a shot on the 11th, but the Northern Irishman bogeyed the 14th before Spaun birdied the same hole.

Spaun also birdied the 16th to get back on level terms and almost won the title in regulation as his birdie attempt from 30 feet on the 18th pulled up just three inches short.

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