PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- It was almost unfair, giving Rory McIlroy an extra 15 hours to know the exact shots he would need to hit to win.
Once the Players Championship became a three-hole aggregate Monday playoff due to a Sunday weather delay, McIlroy had the clear advantage over J.J. Spaun. But as the wind gusted down the 16th, McIlroy was as nervous as he had been for a long time, he said later. On Sunday, he had regretted not closing the door. The pressure, inevitably, was on him.
The stakes made for a tough night; he woke up at 3 a.