PGA TOUR COUNTDOWN™
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PGA TOUR COUNTDOWN™
Master of the Wind: McIlroy's Playoff Triumph
Rory McIlroy captured his second Players Championship title in a dramatic Monday playoff against JJ Spahn, cementing his place among golf's elite as only the fourth player to win multiple Players Championships and multiple majors.
The concluding day at TPC Sawgrass featured brutal north-northwest winds that transformed the course into the challenging test it was designed to be. McIlroy's victory highlighted his remarkable improvement in controlling ball flight in windy conditions—a skill he's deliberately developed since changing his ball earlier this season. "I'm a better putter, better around the greens, I can flight my ball better in the wind," McIlroy reflected during his post-round interview.
Behind the composed exterior was a champion battling significant nerves, waking at 3am unable to sleep before the playoff. "Standing over that tee shot on 16 this morning is the most nervous I've been in a long time," McIlroy admitted, offering a glimpse into the psychological challenges elite golfers face. His evening routine of watching "The Devil Wears Prada" to distract himself showcases the human side of championship golf rarely seen by fans.
For Spahn, despite the disappointment, the week represented remarkable progress in his career trajectory. "A year ago today, this was the first cut I made all season," he noted, "Now I've lost in a playoff." His candid reflections on overcoming earlier career fears demonstrate the mental evolution required to compete at golf's highest level.
The victory potentially reshapes McIlroy's Masters preparation, as he now plans to play one of the Texas events rather than taking three full weeks off before Augusta. As we shift focus to the Valspar Championship next week, McIlroy's renewed confidence and demonstrated resilience establish him as a formidable contender for the season's first major championship.
This is PGA TOUR COUNTDOWN. Welcome in everyone, frank Bassett, joining you for PGA TOUR COUNTDOWN. It is the week after the Players' Championship, so this is mainly going to be a wrap. Then we'll do an extra countdown for you for the goings-on in Florida, palm Harbor. That may be so at Innersbrook great tournament, but I want to back up a little bit.
Speaker 1:The Players' Championship, of course, is over. We finished Monday in a three-hole aggregate playoff. One major factor here, I think, happened during the week the wind. Now the wind was out of the southwest during the week during the tournament itself, so it wasn't as penal as it could have been as it was on Monday when it was out of the north-northwest. That's when it really turned around. It was cold and that's the way the course is meant to be challenging to the players during the regular tournament.
Speaker 1:It was a tough playoff and JJ Spahn did a great job. I mean, he really did. He just hit what he wanted to hit. He hit his line, he hit the club exactly like he wanted to hit it and he just blew the green and that sort of ended it. Mcelroy had a little struggle in 17, and they both had a little struggle in 18. So anyway, all in all, good playoff. What I want you to do is to be able to hear what Rory McIlroy said and what JJ Spahn said after their rounds. These interviews are live from the Media Center and they're in full, so you can kind of snip it around and see what you like and then, once you hear both the interviews, we'll go with JJ Spahn first, then Rory McIlroy and I'll wrap this thing up. So, that being said, let's get it going.
Speaker 4:We'll go ahead and get started. Jj, incredibly impressive showing this week at the players championship, putting yourself in contention to win. Uh, if you could just start off with some thoughts on how you're feeling right now, after a great week yeah, I mean a little disappointed.
Speaker 5:Um, you know, it was just a tough morning to play golf in general, it would probably be one of the harder days that we'd had if it was this wind direction. So yeah, committed to every shot I hit. The one on 17 was exactly what I was trying to do, just didn't work out. But a lot of positives this week to take from and proud to give myself a chance today and next time. Maybe it'll go in my favor.
Speaker 4:We can start with Paul in the back here.
Speaker 6:JJ, it looked standing on 17 like 17 T, that maybe you were deciding between clubs or just had a convo there. Can you kind of take us through kind of what you were thinking of hitting on 17 and your thought process there?
Speaker 5:yeah, I was never thinking anything other than an eight iron. We were warming up on the track man this morning in a similar direction and getting a getting kind of dialed in with what kind of shot I'd have to hit to fight the wind and carry the number that we're needing. And it was just kind of like a nice chip eight iron and pulled an eight iron and even after Rory hit a nine I mean, he's easily a club longer than me and I don't know if I flighted it too well, but it just went through the wind. I couldn't even tell where it was going to be. I didn't know what to tell it Like sit, go. If anything, I was leaning more towards go. But it was a great shot. It was probably six, seven feet left of the pin, just perfect if it was the right distance and I couldn't believe it was long. And you know that just wasn't my luck of the gust, I guess.
Speaker 4:JJ, we'll come over here to Gary Smith.
Speaker 7:JJ, you talked the other day about what you have proven to yourself since last year in Detroit and the way you've played since then. Do you feel even more strongly now, despite this loss, and that you're on a great track right now?
Speaker 5:Yeah, totally. This is probably the best golf I've played maybe in my career, like consistent-wise, consistently. Had a chance to win at Sony, had a pretty good chance to win at Cognizant, had a chance to win this week. But yeah, to go from where I was a year ago today or to start the week, uh yeah, I'm pretty proud of where I've, you know, been able to dig deep and and kind of get some self-belief and get some confidence to play some good golf. So, yeah, a ago this was the first cut I made all season, so now I'm lost in a playoff.
Speaker 8:So kind of a big flip there, Joel go ahead, jj, going into the morning like this. Are you nervous, are you excited? Can you just talk about how you were feeling this morning when you got to the course?
Speaker 5:Yeah, it just felt like a never-ending week honestly. You know, I was hoping to get home last night to see my wife and kids you know, even before the delay and all that happened out of flight, ready to go. So I didn't feel nervous, I felt really good last night. I slept better than I did Saturday night. I slept better than I did Saturday night, slept better than I did Friday night.
Speaker 5:But then when I got to the tee I was like oh, it kind of hit me, whereas when I played with Rory Saturday I was pretty nervous, especially being one back, and I was nervous like all night or anxious. But then, like, when I got on the tee, I was just like ready to go. Same way with the round yesterday. Like I was super nervous the night before in the morning, but then once I got into my routine and then got to the tee, it was like I was ready to go. So I don't know what the difference was, maybe because I knew like I was ready to go. So I don't know what the difference was, maybe because I knew like to do or die, maybe. But yeah, I mean, I think it was my first tour playoff, so nothing but positives to take from it.
Speaker 9:Taylor JJ. What are the?
Speaker 5:reasons why you're playing the best golf of your life in 2025. Um, I think we talked about this earlier this week. I I kind of have a different perspective on things as far as, like, golf has been my life ever since, you know, maybe college and stuff and, uh, turning pro and, you know, climbing the ranks and trying to make a living at this. I have a four-year-old now and a 20-month-old two girls. Golf isn't everything anymore and it's easy to just let golf be golf. It's not the end of the world if I play bad. It's not the end of the world if I play bad. It's not the end of the world if I play great, like it's just golf.
Speaker 5:And I've heard people talk about that and I never really grasped it.
Speaker 5:Like, even when I had my children, it was still like, oh, now I got to really play well because it's you know, I got to provide for them, I got to make sure everything's good, like um. And I think that's where I kind of flipped the switch on my attitude last year, where I was playing really poorly and I was thinking to myself well, you know, if this is my eighth year on tour, if this is how I'm going to go out like then this is it. You know, kind of in the mid midpoint of the season I said just, you know, go out and and grind your butt off, dig deep and and if it's meant to be, you keep playing out here, it'll happen. And that's kind of when it happened. When I started playing better, I didn't really care so much. I was kind of content with if things were to end like this is this is how it'll be and I'll be happy with it. You know I got my family and know I've had a successful career and you know that kind of helped me flip a switch mentally.
Speaker 10:Bob On 16,. What were you trying to do on the second shot? Did it, you know? Were you trying to carry it to the green or to the front? And then how tough was it? And also, if you could just comment on, you know you're back in the Masters after this.
Speaker 5:Yeah, we were definitely just trying to run something up to kind of where I hit it yesterday, kind of left of the green, and I kind of pushed it a little bit and I was kind of scared there for a second. I didn't think it was going to cover, but we had a really good lie. I just kind of scared there for a second I didn't think it was gonna cover, but we had a really good lie. I just kind of thinned it and then it came out a hair right of where we were trying to get it, but I ended up fine in the bunker and didn't hit a great bunker shot, kind of just slid the club right under the the ball and, you know, hit a poor shot to like 30 feet and I think, if I don't know, if I would have made that, things obviously would have been a little different.
Speaker 5:But yeah, it's just not meant to be on that hole. And uh, yeah, augusta, that's, you know, kind of going into today. I was thinking about the masters and you know how excited that's going to be, how exciting that's going to be, how exciting that's going to be. So it's definitely a good consolation to the week.
Speaker 4:Clayton.
Speaker 11:Yeah, what was the process like last night of having to bounce back from seeing a putt that came so close to winning the tournament and then having to turn around after that and get ready for this this morning?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I was super, I was excited to still have a chance, um, but it was also kind of a I don't know it, just it was. It was disappointing that that putt didn't go in. I really thought I made it and reading it and doing my routine, I I was, I was telling myself this is going in and uh, even when you watch the, the replay, it just looks like it's going in, going in and just dies. So yeah, it's hard to go from. You know you think you won to okay, now you've got to go against one of the best players in the world and three-hole stretch on a really tough finish in a completely opposite wind that we've had all week and kind of game on. So I knew what to expect but just wasn't my time time for a few more.
Speaker 4:We'll go to Ryan, sean and Jeff yeah, just curious.
Speaker 12:You said you've had times in your career where you were scared of the moment or were shied away from it. Just curious. How did you that and how do you think you've overcome that?
Speaker 5:now I just remember, like I think, even Sony well, memphis I had a lot of scar tissue from Memphis in 2022, where I had the lead going into Sunday and I played awful, like I think I shot eight over or something like that, and I think that's kind of what caused like a little bit of that scar tissue mentally, where I'm just like I didn't want to have that feeling of like not defeat, but just like crawl into a hole and die, kind of a feeling Like it was just so embarrassing and I was just afraid to just like feel embarrassed again. Um, so then when I went to Sony this year, I had the lead again on a course that I've historically not played well and was super uncomfortable um, from td green, even though I was playing well and you know holding the lead, um, and you know I gave myself a shot there to win it with two holes to go and didn't didn't play well to play well enough. I ended up finishing third, missed by the missed the playoff by a shot. But that was when I knew I was like okay, like don't be afraid of, like the moment, enjoy it.
Speaker 5:You know, this is what everyone talks about. Every great athlete is talks about being in the moment and having the opportunity to win and wanting the ball to, to shoot the, the final shot, the final three, or have the last pitch to win the World Series, like those guys want the ball. Final three, or have the last pitch to win the world series, like those guys want the ball. And so I'm like, well, I'm gonna, I want the ball. So that was a good way it was. Even though I didn't win, I took a lot from that and it's kind of carried myself through, um, this first part of the season on 17.
Speaker 11:You're trailing by one and rory's put it on the. Did the situation affect the shot you played either target or club at all, or would you have played the same shot regardless of situation?
Speaker 5:Same shot. I knew he wasn't going to make worse than par, even though he did, but I think if it boiled down to it he probably would have made par. But yeah, I hit the exact shot that I wanted to. Uh, I had no idea that that ball was even long. I thought, if anything it was short, maybe plugged in the bunker or stuck on top of the hill and rory hit nine. Can I just watch it? I haven't seen it. I mean, look how high it is, it's floating. Can I just watch it? I haven't seen it. I mean, look how high it is, it's floating. I can't. I almost wanted to say get up, because it just looked like it was going to be short. But anyways, I was stunned, I couldn't believe it was long.
Speaker 5:All right, Jeff, and yeah, all I can do. I'm happy with the swing I put on it. I am, and the wind must have just laid down just a little too much and just went through the wind. It wasn't my time.
Speaker 13:Kind of along those lines JJ at what point? Because you didn't know whether to say go or hold up. At what point did you realize, oh no, this is too strong on the shot. Yeah, I mean when, as it was coming down, when did you realize?
Speaker 5:I never thought it was long. Okay, I never thought it was long for some reason, like I had no doubt in my mind that that was going to be long, just based off of what we're doing on the range, I mean, I was hitting a couple of them 110 yards into the same wind direction. So I don't know if adrenaline I mean, I know to expect something like that, but the window I hit it at especially, it was a lot higher than actually the window I was trying to hit it, so that's what made me think it was like floating and staying in the air and possibly short. But I, from the angle I was on it, looked like it was going to land just right on that little spine and spin back to a foot, honestly, and just went through the wind and then real quick um, obviously you've got to flip the switch and all of that get ready for the next shot from drop zone.
Speaker 13:How long did it take you to put that shot away and get ready for the next?
Speaker 5:pretty quickly. I knew I was, you know, having to make this wedge shot to have any sort of pressure on rory and chance to win the tournament. But um, it was weird. The wind ended up like being straight in on my wedge shot. It was a perfect wedge shot if it was kind of the direction it should be kind of just left to right on that angle, maybe a touch of hurt. But then when I got on there it was like straight into me. I'm like this is what I needed on the first shot here. Now I have like another tweener, what am I gonna? What am I gonna? Try to fly to another one and rinse it long again.
Speaker 5:So it was such a bad number to have with that amount of wind and I just had to hit the shot that I knew wouldn't go long. But then unfortunately it spun down to that little weird fringe and tough up and down from there too. Couldn't putt it, had to chip it and, you know, made a six, one, two, three, four, five, six, All right, we'll wrap things up there One, two, three, four, five, six.
Speaker 4:All right, we'll wrap things up there. Jj, thank you for joining us in the Media Center, yeah no problem, Thanks guys. All right, we'd like to welcome the winner of the Players' Championship, Rory McIlroy, to the Media Center. Rory, if you could start us off with a few comments on how it feels to now be a two-time champion of the Players' Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Speaker 14:Yeah, it feels amazing. Someone just asked me there today how was my morning and I said it was stressful. But yeah, I'm super happy, super proud to win this event for a second time. Not a lot of people have done that over the 51 years of the players and you know I go back to 2009 when I first set eyes on this golf course and certainly wasn't love at first sight. And I've had to learn to play this golf course and adapt my game to it in some ways. And yeah, to win for a second time is awesome.
Speaker 4:And today wasn't a traditional finish. We're here on a Monday, a Monday playoff, and we had a lot of fans out there. Can you touch on the atmosphere for a Monday morning at the Players' Championship?
Speaker 14:Yeah, it was incredible. I was walking up 16 fairway and I turned to my caddy, harry, and I was like I can't believe how many people are here. Obviously, no one works in Jacksonville, but yeah, it was amazing. I didn't expect there to be so many people out there today and it created a great atmosphere, and certainly JJ and I really appreciated that.
Speaker 4:Fantastic. We'll open to questions and start with Doug.
Speaker 15:For someone who's driving was was kind of on and off all week. The tee shot on 16 looked like it was close to perfect and that set the tone for the day.
Speaker 14:Yeah, it really did. Yeah, I, it was was sort of nice when we were warming up on the range, the wind direction was sort of similar to 16, so I had a few extra drivers. Just knowing that that would be a key shot, knowing that I had the honour as well, you know, I thought if I could get the ball on the fairway there. You know, it sort of puts a little bit of pressure on JJ and yeah, to step up and make that swing was awesome, as you said, with, you know, sort of struggling with the driver a bit this week as well.
Speaker 15:And then on the 9-iron 17,. What was your? What kind of shot were you trying to hit? Flight-wise, wind-wise, everything yeah.
Speaker 14:So again, I practiced this shot on the range I, I just turned around and basically hit balls towards the third green um, just to sort of try to replicate the wind. I was going to get on 17 um and I had the track man out and I have this little three-quarter, three-quarter shot, um and it, my nine iron goes 147. Uh, with that shot and my nine iron goes 147 with that shot. But with the wind it was going right around that 130 number, which was the number I really wanted to hit it on 17. So I knew that was even before I got up there. I knew that was the shot that I was going to hit, but it felt like it was a little more sheltered by the green than it was on the t and um.
Speaker 14:You know I, when my ball was in the air, I was telling it to get down and and obviously you know jj hit his up in the air. I, I couldn't believe that it went straight through the wind like that. So, um, yeah, it was. It was tricky to judge, but you know I, I sort of had that shot in my head, that little three quarter, three quarter, nine iron and um, you know, made a good swing at it sean martin just wondering whose idea it was to turn around and hit the balls towards three when you were warming up.
Speaker 11:Was it you or harry?
Speaker 14:uh, I'll take the credit for that one. Um, yeah, no, that was, that was me. I just I think as well. You know, this week it's been a challenge. I've went down to the back end of the range sometimes and been hitting the ball like in a left right wind, and you know it's hard to obviously get both winds when you're warming up, but there were so many cross winds this week that that was. You know. I'd go down to the back end of the range because I knew that that was the same direction as, like, the first tee shot. So I sort of like knowing what that first tee shot is going to do. But then you turn around on the second hole. It's completely different. It's the first shot you've hit in that wind, so it can be a little bit tricky. But seeing there was no one around this morning, it was nice to be able to just turn around and hit those shots in the in the wind. I felt like there was going to be on 17.
Speaker 11:And after you won Pebble you talked about kind. Did that pursuit of trying to do that this year help this week with kind of, like Doug said, of maybe struggling with the driver a little bit struggling with the swing?
Speaker 14:Yeah, I think there's that part of it where I'm just trying to get the ball in play any way that I can. But then also, I feel, like this week, because there's so much trouble just picking really conservative targets, especially with iron shots, like even into 16 in the playoff. There I had a wedge in my hand but I'm still aiming 30 feet left of the hole. You know I'm not going at it. You know, and I think you know, all of that combined, you know, with the fact that I feel like I'm controlling my ball much better in the wind these days, you know, I think that's a big part of it as well.
Speaker 4:Come over here to Gene for now.
Speaker 2:Roy, yesterday, after the round was over, you lamented, not closing the door. But now that you've gone through this playoff on a Monday morning, how much do you feel that that could benefit you? In case, at majors or whatever, you get into a playoff, how much would benefit from that? And, as a follow-up, did you feel comfortable that the wind was gusting as much as it was?
Speaker 14:yeah, um, honestly, like standing over that tee shot on 16 this morning is the most nervous I've been in a long time. Um, so I think that will stand to me feeling like that and being able to hit the golf shots that I need while you know, your stomach's sort of not feeling great and your legs are a little shaky and your heart rate is racing.
Speaker 14:To have to go through that today it's nice to have that in recent memory for some of the tournaments coming up for sure. And then I would have preferred not to have played in such gusty conditions this morning. I'm definitely thankful that we didn't have to to have played in such gusty conditions this morning. I'm definitely thankful that we didn't have to play 18 holes in that. It was only three, but yeah they were they were.
Speaker 9:It was, that was as tough as the course had played all week, I felt like Taylor's Rory, kind of on along those lines. How much work is required in maintaining or improving your mindset, and can you give us a sense of how you try to do that in the next three weeks?
Speaker 14:I think, just double down on what I'm doing, double down on the work that I've been doing at home, on the work that I've been doing at home, doubled down on the conversations I've been having with Bob Rutella. You know, like all that sort of stuff, it's just continuing to do the same things. You know, I'm feeling really comfortable, as I said, with how I'm flighting my ball in the wind. You know, I feel like I'm. You know, I'm always trying to refine what I have. You know, I'm certainly a proponent of it. If it's not broken, don't try to fix it. And, you know, everything feels like it's in good working order at the minute. And yeah, as I said, just, you know, keep practicing on the right, you know, and doing the right things and practicing the right habits, day after day, week after week. They all add up to days like today.
Speaker 4:David, bob and then Gabby.
Speaker 17:Over here, rory, you said that you feel a more complete player at the moment than you have at any stage of your career. What is it you think that you've added or improved on significantly?
Speaker 14:I'm a better putter, I'm better around the greens, I can flight my ball better in the wind, my ability to ship shots both ways yeah, I'd say those are the things. Really managing myself more around. You know like I by no means that I have my best stuff this week, but I'm still able to win one of the biggest tournaments in the world. You know that's a huge thing.
Speaker 17:And you were asked about the legacy as somebody who's won this twice and won more than one major and you knew straight away the company you were thing. And you were asked about the legacy as somebody who's won this twice and won more than one major and you knew straight away the company you were in. Were you aware of that going out or was that something?
Speaker 14:Yeah, I'd seen it, but you know I'd seen it somewhere that you know Jack, tiger and Scotty were the only three with multiple players and multiple majors, and you know it's a nice club to be a part of.
Speaker 4:Bob Herrick.
Speaker 10:Rory, obviously we all know how hard it is to win, but in your case it almost seems like when you get there and you're up there, like you were yesterday, there's an expectation that you're supposed to, and I'm just wondering if that's even unfair. I mean, obviously you put yourself there a lot. If you'd have just shot, say, 71 yesterday. You're not even in the conversation and nobody really thinks about it, but you pushed yourself in front and then you almost seemed disappointed last night and I'm just wondering how that works for you.
Speaker 14:Yeah, I mean, I think when I put myself in that position and I'm, you know, leading by three with six holes to go I expect myself to win, and it's more my expectations rather than anyone else. But when you don't get it done, you know I was disappointed that I needed to come back this morning, but I didn't. You know I couldn't let that mind frame linger for too long and I had to reset and, you know, try to get a good night's sleep and come out this morning, you know, committed to get the job done. So you know that was the thing. I got here just as early as I would get here for an 18-hole round and went through my full warm-up. I was in the gym at 6.15 and went through my whole workout and you know I gave myself plenty of time and did all the things that I had to do to get myself ready and you know I went out there and hit the shots that I needed to in the end.
Speaker 10:Also real quick. You're closing in on 30 PGA Tour wins and obviously if you probably had only played over here, you might be well past it. But do you even see anybody coming close to that down the road? I mean, when you look at that number now, it's pretty rare air these days.
Speaker 14:Yeah, I don't know, scotty keeps having nine win seasons. He's going to get there pretty quick. I mean, I'm sure, I'm sure you know there's. You know, some guys have the ability to certainly get there. But yeah, I, you know, all I can do is focus on myself and and try to keep playing the best golf that I can. But, um, yeah, I mean there's, there's no reason why, why, why others can't? You know, you put the work in and you do the right things. Um, you know you're, you're able to do some pretty, pretty cool stuff go over to you right at get with gabby rory, you talked about resetting.
Speaker 16:Um how different were you feeling last night versus this morning?
Speaker 14:um, yeah, I would say I was. Um, yeah, I was a little disappointed last night, but I also was mindful that I I couldn't feel that way, that I needed to reset. So once I got back to the hotel, I just tried to sort of forget about it and had some room service, watched a little bit of Devil Wears Prada and went to bed and that was. That was basically it. And then when I woke up this morning, I woke up at 3 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so I was as nervous as I can remember. So, yeah, there's a lot of thoughts that are racing through your head and you're trying not to look at your phone and you're trying to sleep. But I was up. But, um, yeah, I was.
Speaker 14:I was a little anxious this morning and I just knew I needed to to get off to a good start. Especially I knew the wind was going to be up. I knew some of those shots were going to be really really tough and, um, you know, I just I was, you know, just really con, you know, focused on trying to make good swings. I said it last night, but I really just needed to make five good swings today and I made three good swings on 16 and 17. And that was basically enough to get it done. And you, I'm totally forgetting my question.
Speaker 14:You're thinking of Devil Wears Prada, aren't you? Yeah, great movie, but no, I remembered it now.
Speaker 16:Um, what you've been backing off of a lot of shots this week is that. Do you think you're doing that more than you normally do? Is that a concerted effort?
Speaker 14:no, it's, it's just the wind so gusty and you just get a gust and I'm standing over and it's like do I back off? Do I not back off? I don't know, I seem to back off more than others. Maybe I don't know if I'm just more sensitive to the wind or the gusts than some others, but when it gets gusty like that, I want to feel totally comfortable when I'm over the ball and pulling the trigger.
Speaker 4:Paul go ahead.
Speaker 6:Rory, in one of your interviews out on the green you said you told Harry that this little shot would take you far. Just wondering why you believe that and just if you feel like controlling the ball better in the wind, like what has been behind that improvement for you better in the wind is like what has been behind that improvement for you.
Speaker 14:Um, I again like going back to the, the ball change earlier in the year. It's it's sort of forced me to to play more shots like that. It's a little spinnier ball, it launches a touch lower, you know. So if I get it up in the in the wind, with the spin, the variation of distance can be quite a bit. So the ball change has really forced me to do that.
Speaker 14:And the first time I worked on it a lot was at Pebble Beach and we had to contend with some really windy conditions there at the weekend and played well in that. And, look, we play an outdoor sport for the most part, apart from Mondays and Tuesday nights that you're going to have to contend with the wind and you're going to have to. I think back to the second round at Augusta last year. It was so gusty and I maybe didn't have all the shots that were required to go out and shoot something under par that day. So just when the conditions come like that, I just feel like I'm a lot better prepared to handle them, especially. You know it's always been okay off the tee, but it's flighting the sort of wedges and the short irons which have been the issue and the issue and I feel like I've I've been able to rectify that ryan roy, two things.
Speaker 12:One why do you think you're so nervous this morning?
Speaker 14:um, I think I, um, you know, I I said this out in the green too, but I think back in 19,. I maybe didn't appreciate how big this tournament was and how much it meant. You know, every time we come back to this tournament, it gets bigger and better each and every year, from the golf course to the facility for the players, for the facilities for the fans, like, I don't want to put any sort of label on it, but it is one of the biggest championships in the world, um, and that, you know, I think that was part of the reason, um, and because I didn't get it done last night and I really wanted to, I think that was. And as well, look, I'm going out there today and you're going back to a point like I'm expected to win as well, and that brings its own pressure in some way, and yeah, but I felt like I handled everything and handled those nerves really well.
Speaker 12:And secondly, JJ told us that he's had times in his career where he's been afraid of the moment, essentially not wanting to get his heart broken again. You've talked a lot about your resilience throughout the course of your career. Does his line of thinking resonate with you at all?
Speaker 14:Absolutely. I think we've all had periods where we've felt like that. We've all had periods where we've felt like that and I've had to go through it. I've had my heart broken a lot over the last few years when I've had chances on some days and it hasn't quite materialized. But we all have to go through it, or at least all of us not named Tiger Woods. So it's a part of the process, it's a part of the learning journey and ultimately those are the days that make us better. Joel.
Speaker 8:Rory off that comment about nerves. You've obviously been in this position a lot throughout your career. Does it surprise you that you still get nervous in these situations? Do you look at it as a good thing that you still care? How do you just combat when you feel that way?
Speaker 14:It doesn't surprise me yeah. I think it's a really good thing. People say pressure is a privilege and it really is. You wanna feel like that on the course. That's why I spend the time that I do practicing and trying to trying to master my craft, that that you get yourself in those positions to to see what you're made of and again, like you know, super proud of the three swings I made on 16 and 17 to basically, you know, get the job done.
Speaker 14:And you know I mentioned something earlier in the week where you know you know, how do you drown out, like the bad thoughts and replace them with the positive ones? And I just think you have to try really hard to make those positive thoughts a little, just a little stronger and a little more powerful than the negative ones. We all get negative thoughts, but it's. How do you deal with those and how do you reframe and replace those with what you want to see and what you want to do? Because even walking from the 16th green to the 17th tee today, I could see myself hitting it in the water. It's something that crosses your mind and it's like okay, like okay. Well, how do I replace that thought with a better one and visualize and get myself into the moment? And you know I've. I've practiced hard at that and and definitely getting better at it.
Speaker 4:I come to the side of the room with you you had openly pondered playing between now and the masters.
Speaker 1:Does this make you more inclined to do that, or do you want to go in on this high? How do you think about that now?
Speaker 14:No, I think three weeks off going in is a little too much, so I'll play one of the events in Texas, whether it's Houston or San Antonio, I'm sure yeah.
Speaker 3:Evan, go ahead. Rory, curious, if you have a ritual after winning a tournament and historically have you celebrated victories much, or have you been towards the tiger woods? This is normal type of celebration um, there's, there's certainly no ritual.
Speaker 14:Um, feel strange to win a golf tournament at 10 o'clock in the morning. I feel like I can't have a drink. Yet it is St Patrick's Day, though Not really. I think there's some that I've celebrated more than others, but, yeah, there has been some instances where I've maybe not celebrated enough. I think I go back to Padraig. Harrington always said that he said that he wish he had a celebrated his wins more, because as you get on in your golf career and I've been very lucky to win a lot you still don't win all that often. So, yeah, you, you want to celebrate them and you want to make sure that you're. You know they're meaningful in some ways, but you know it's nice. I've got a few days off now so I'll be able to, you know, have a good time tonight and, you know, maybe feel the effects tomorrow.
Speaker 4:All right, we'll go back to Fergie then Shupak.
Speaker 15:What's the difference in nerves when you're trying to win compared with trying not to lose?
Speaker 14:I think they're sort of the same. They're at least the same feelings. But I think trying to win and being in that mindset it can eradicate some of those feelings. You know, if you play to win and you hit an aggressive shot, and you hit a really good shot, I think that can relax you and it can like calm your nervous system, where if you're playing real sort of guide-y golf and just trying to, as you say, not lose, I don't think that sort of golf calms you down. If anything, I think it just keeps you in that sort of heightened nervous state. So, yeah, it's much better to to play to win, and I think as well, if you play to win and you don't hit the shot that you want to hit, I think you can live with that. But if you play to not lose, you're never really giving yourself the best opportunity and that's hard to swallow and I've done that before at times in my career.
Speaker 15:Try to play, not to lose. Yeah, yeah, and even though this feels like two years ago that shot, you hit on two yesterday. That set up your birdie eagle start. What was that?
Speaker 14:It was a four iron from, I think it was like 225, straight back into the wind. That was probably the swing of the week. Yeah, that was pretty much perfect, Adam go ahead.
Speaker 9:Rory, the three-quarter, three-quarter shot. Is that something that Butch Harmon taught you, or suggested?
Speaker 14:No, it's sort of. It's a shot that I've always had with the wedges, but I've been reluctant to use it with like nine iron, eight iron, seven iron down. But this year I've gotten more into using that shot with some of those lower clubs, like the 9-iron on 17, the 8-iron at the last today. But no, that's a shot that I've always really had, but I've just started to get more comfortable using it with longer clubs.
Speaker 9:Are you a guy who celebrates St Patrick's Day, does it?
Speaker 14:carry some sort of Not really. I was looking for something green to wear today, but I didn't have anything with me. Yeah, look, it's a pretty big deal in Ireland, but it's definitely I feel like you guys take it to another level here.
Speaker 9:And last for me is there any cute backstory on the little flower you have?
Speaker 14:Yeah, Poppy picked it for me. Yeah, she gave it to me just after I won. So I think there was one more flower in it, but it disintegrated in my back pocket but I kept most of it. But yeah, she gave it to me just after I won. So I think there was one more flaw in it, but it disintegrated in my back pocket, but I kept most of it. But yeah, she gave it to me.
Speaker 4:To the coordinator, Will, and then to Ian.
Speaker 3:Will Brown, wjct Public Media. You mentioned earlier that you came to appreciate this championship more after you won it in 2019. Having the extended period of being the Players' Champion did that help you appreciate this place, this tournament and the ability to win this tournament?
Speaker 14:Yeah, I don't think it took me winning this championship to realize how big it was. I think it was more that we come back to TPC Sawgrass each and every year and I just feel like the experience gets better and better. You know, from a player's perspective, from a fan's perspective, you know what the tour do with this whole setup, with the golf course, everything it's amazing. Like just you know, during that four-hour rain delay or storm delay yesterday, there was a few of us in the locker room chatting and we were all you know. Sort of consensus was that it's probably the best experience for a player of any golf tournament in the world. It's absolutely amazing and you know very proud to win for a second time. It's absolutely amazing and you know very proud to win for a second time. And, yeah, I'm looking forward to keep coming back for many more years.
Speaker 4:All right, we have time for two more. We're going to go to Ashley and then finish with Bob hey, rory, ashley Gonzalez First Coast News. So you've been in the game for a long time, since you were a teenager. Every time you win, do you reconnect with your inner child at all the one who fell in love with the game a long time ago.
Speaker 14:Yeah, I, I, I do, but yeah, look, I. I remember. I remember watching davis love win here um back on that sort of rainy sunday when he wouldn't take his rain jacket off because of the superstition, and um, I remember watching that with my dad at home. Um, remember Craig Perks chipping in from the back of the green um Tigers putt, obviously in 2001, like I, you know, it was always a, it was like you know, it was.
Speaker 14:I was always excited to sit down and watch this tournament as a kid and, yeah, to think that I've won this now a couple of times and I've been coming here since 2009. Ten-year-old Roy would think this is really, really cool.
Speaker 4:All right, Bob, bring us home.
Speaker 10:Roy, you referenced this a little while ago. There were some disappointments for you last year, not just the US Open, but afterward you had a couple of close calls that were, you know I'm sure hurt too, but yet, in the totality of it now, when you look back three more wins since then, a lot of high finishes I'm wondering how much that might have impacted your winning. Now, you know, was there a low point that you might have turned things around? That helped you turn things around?
Speaker 14:yeah, um, honestly, I feel like I turned things. I, the us open was, was hard. Um, the irish Open was hard. You know I bogeyed 15 and 17 on the way in there and that was a hard one to lose at home. But I feel like where it started to turn around was the next week at Wentworth. Billy Horschel beat me in the playoff at Wentworth, but the way I played down the stretch then was like that's the way I want to play, that's the way I want to play down the stretch and like I lost to an eagle when Billy held up hot on 18 in the playoff. But that was, um, I think that was sort of like the turning point.
Speaker 14:And then I did some work on my swing after Wentworth, sort of October, and then went into the two Middle East events at the end of the year and was able to win that one. So I feel that period like October November was a pretty important one and I was able to do some good work on my swing and then test it out pretty much straight after in a couple of tournaments and I feel like that's obviously carried into into this year and, um, yeah, when I, you know, I just I don't. It doesn't feel like I'm making those mistakes at the, at the critical times, like I was previously. And, um, you know, and I think a big part of that is just learning from from those mistakes and you know I, I it's a long career. You have to stay incredibly patient and, yeah, I would say that some of those losses have helped me learn what to do when I'm, when I'm in those positions again.
Speaker 4:All right, we'll wrap up there, rory. Thank you for joining us in the media center. Congratulations on the win.
Speaker 14:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Well, there you go. You've heard from JJ Spahn, you've heard from Roy McIlroy and now it's on to Innersbrook and on to the Valspar. Going to be a great tournament, going to be a lot of fun. Not the Players' Championship, it was my favorite, that and the Masters are my two favorites. But we'll give you some more info this week in regard to where we're going to be at the Masters. Azalea Hospitality is always our home at the Masters and we're going to be doing some other shows from another hospitality house there in Augusta, a lot of shows during Augusta week. I know it's a few weeks out, but the excitement builds the player's over the next major. The next major get what I said is the Masters, but enjoy the Valspar this week.
Speaker 1:For the Golf Talk America Network and PGA Tour Countdown. I'm Frank Bassett saying. Thank you so much for listening, Thank you.