Rory McIlroy wins The Players Championship and Masters expectations rise

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Rory McIlroy winning The Players Championship gave him so much of what he doesn't need.

The $4.5 million prize is the largest for any tournament in the world. It pushed McIlroy's career earnings on the PGA Tour alone to just over $99.7 million, second only to Tiger Woods.

The perks include a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour (his 28 wins make him a life member) and three-year exemptions to the majors (he's been eligible for all of them since 2009).

It also raised expectations for McIlroy going into the Masters.

He probably doesn't need those, either.

Even at the TPC Sawgrass for the premier championship of the PGA Tour, the week for McIlroy started and ended with talk about the Masters.

It was last Tuesday when a University of Texas golfer watched McIlroy hook his tee shot into the water on the 18th during a practice round and told him it was just like the shot McIlroy hit on the 10th hole at Augusta National — the one that started his shocking collapse in the 2011 Masters. That remains as close as McIlroy has come to winning a green jacket.

McIlroy took his phone and handed it to security, the Longhorn lad was removed and McIlroy didn't want to talk about the incident a few days later.

Far more pleasant was the end of the week.

Disappointed after losing a three-shot lead with five holes to play in regulation Sunday, more nervous than he would have expected at the start of a three-hole playoff Monday, McIlroy made quick work of J.J. Spaun with three great swings. The last one was a three-quarter 9-iron in the wind that left everyone hopeful until it plopped down in the middle of an island at No. 17.

Winning The Players is a big deal, and McIlroy now has won it twice.

“I don’t want to put any sort of label on it, but it is one of the biggest championships in the world,” McIlroy said.

This also is the first time in his career he has two victories leading to the Masters, having won at Pebble Beach last month. Go back to last November, when McIlroy won the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, and that makes three wins in his last six starts.

The first question from Sky Sports: “Have you ever been in a better headspace going into the majors after those two big wins?”

The majors start with the Masters. For McIlroy, it's always the Masters. This starts the 11th year since he last won a major, his 11th time going to Augusta National knowing it's the one major keeping him from the career Grand Slam.

“I've had good starts to years before,” McIlroy said, and this much is true. Go back to 2019 when he started the year with seven straight top 10s, including a victory in The Players Championship. He tied for 21st at the Masters.

“Look, I'm in good form,” he said. “I'm playing well. I feel like all aspects of my game are under control. I just have to keep working hard, keep my head down. It's another opportunity to just refine little bits that need refining.”

But this is setting up nicely for him.

Scottie Scheffler had to wait a month to get going because surgery to his right palm that was punctured by a wine glass he was using to make ravioli. Scheffler still hasn't had all the pieces fall together since returning at Pebble Beach, though he does not appear to be far off.

Xander Schauffele, winner of two majors last year, just returned from two months away because of a rib injury. His only celebration has been making the cut on the number the last two weeks to extend his streak to 59 in a row.

McIlroy plans one more start — the Houston Open — before the Masters, the ultimate measure. He feels more equipped than ever to bag another major, and he certainly has been hardened by more failures than he would like to remember.

St. Andrews in 2022 and the U.S. Open the last two years were his for the taking and someone else took home the trophy. Pinehurst No. 2 was particularly brutal last year when he missed a pair of short putts on crispy greens down the stretch.

McIlroy believes he began to turn the corner last fall in a playoff loss at Wentworth, and spending quality time on finding freedom in his swing. He also points to the second round of the Masters last year, when the wind came up and he went down with a 77 that effectively took him out of the tournament.

Now he has a shorter swing for the occasion, once for his wedge and now down to the 7-iron. He employed those beautifully in the Pacific wind when he won at Pebble Beach. His 9-iron to the par-3 17th in the playoff at Sawgrass on Monday was masterful.

“When the conditions come like that,” he said, reflecting on that Friday round at Augusta last year, “I just feel like I’m a lot better prepared to handle them. It's always been OK off the tee, but it’s flighting the wedges and short irons, which have been the issue, and I feel like I’ve been able to rectify that.”

It all leads to what he believes has made him a more complete player. There is a certain calmness to him, even with the nerves he felt Monday in the playoff. The pressure will be strong as ever when he gets to Augusta National.

“Everything feels like it’s in good working order at the minute,” he said. “Just keep practicing and doing the right things and practicing the right habits. And day after day, week after week, they all add up to days like today.”

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