PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The island green that never looks smaller than on Sunday at The Players proved to be no problem for Rory McIlroy. Same with the daunting tee shot at the 18th hole, the slew of players in contention and the windy conditions.
Perhaps most important, the recent history of trying but failing in golf tournaments across the world proved to be a product of patience rather than panic, as McIlroy notched a big victory on Sunday.
Starting the final round one shot back of leader Jon Rahm and overcoming an early double bogey, McIlroy played his last 10 holes in 4 under par on a raw day at TPC Sawgrass to claim his most important win since the 2014 PGA Championship.