Written by Rob Bolton

Anything worth having is worth the wait. And oh, boy, a title as THE PLAYERS champion is worth it. Just ask Rory McIlroy.

Using the par-5 16th, par-3 17th and par-4 18th holes in overtime, McIlroy went birdie-bogey-bogey for 1-over 13. Spaun opened with par and then triple-bogeyed 17, where his tee ball sailed the green despite the headwind and landed in the lake. (It was the only time that he found water all week.) He was eliminated when McIlroy poured in his putt at the last.

To say that McIlroy is off and running in 2025 would be to underreport it. He’s now won twice in four starts (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am) and assumed the lead in the FedExCup when 750 points were added to his season total for his second. The win at TPC Sawgrass also yields $4.5 million of the $25-million purse.

At +1100, McIlroy was second-shortest to prevail pre-tournament at FanDuel. He’s already exempt into every tournament in which he wants to play, and his PGA TOUR membership exemption was already extended through his age-41 season of 2030, so beyond the points and payout, he’ll have to be satisfied merely with the trophy signifying his 28th victory on the circuit.

Rory McIlroy’s interview after winning in a playoff at THE PLAYERS

Although he had a pair of podium finishes this season upon arrival, Spaun was +11000 to win, but it made sense in the context of his history at TPC Sawgrass. Prior to this appearance, he had cashed just once in five tries (T64, 2024) and hadn’t broken 70 in all 11 rounds. This time, he opened with 66 to co-lead, backed it up with a 68 and then sat alone atop the leaderboard entering the finale with a third-round 70. With this third top-three finish on the season, he’s now fifth in the FedExCup standings and his bank account will reflect a deposit of $2.725 million for the runner-up finish.

Third place was split three ways between Akshay Bhatia (+11000), Lucas Glover (+15000) and Tom Hoge (+30000). Each collects 325 FedExCup points and $1.325 million.

Tournament favorite and two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler (+400) settled as one of 10 to share 20th place.

Bud Cauley (+35000) and Danny Walker (+100000), who were the third- and second-to-last golfers to gain entry into the field with the pre-tournament withdrawals of Lee Hodges (rib injury) and Jason Day (illness), respectively, capitalized on the unexpected fortune to finish in a tie for sixth place worth 250 FedExCup points and $843,750 apiece.

As the last automatic qualifier in the field for winning the Puerto Rico Open, Karl Vilips (+20000) missed the cut by seven strokes.

When the first round was completed on Friday morning, Camilo Villegas was in charge of an early subtext as one of the three co-leaders because he was one of the dozen golfers in the field with pre-tournament odds to win of a field-long +100000, but he faded to T54.

NOTE: Points and payouts cites pre-tournament odds to win at FanDuel for all golfers who made the cut. For live odds, visit FanDuel.

PositionGolfer (odds to win)ScoreFedExCup pointsEarningsP1Rory McIlroy (+1100)276 / -12750.000$4,500,000.00P2J.J. Spaun (+11000)276 / -12500.000$2,725,000.00T3Tom Hoge (+30000)278 / -10325.000$1,325,000.00T3Akshay Bhatia (+11000)278 / -10325.000$1,325,000.00T3Lucas Glover (+15000)278 / -10325.000$1,325,000.00T6Danny Walker (+100000)279 / -9250.000$843,750.00T6Corey Conners (+6000)279 / -9250.000$843,750.00T6Bud Cauley (+35000)279 / -9250.000$843,750.009Robert MacIntyre (+7500)280 / -8200.000$731,250.00T10Collin Morikawa (+1400)281 / -7165.000$656,250.00T10Davis Thompson (+12000)281 / -7165.000$656,250.00T12Jake Knapp (+17000)282 / -6125.000$556,250.00T12Patrick Cantlay (+4000)282 / -6125.000$556,250.00T14Aaron Rai (+7000)283 / -582.500$418,750.00T14Tommy Fleetwood (+3300)283 / -582.500$418,750.00T14Denny McCarthy (+9000)283 / -582.500$418,750.00T14Sam Ryder (+40000)283 / -582.500$418,750.00T14Sepp Straka (+4500)283 / -582.500$418,750.00T14Alex Smalley (+17000)283 / -582.500$418,750.00T20Keegan Bradley (+5500)284 / -448.300$240,250.00T20Ryan Fox (+40000)284 / -448.300$240,250.00T20Joe Highsmith (+17000)284 / -448.300$240,250.00T20Matt McCarty (+50000)284 / -448.300$240,250.00T20Daniel Berger (+6000)284 / -448.300$240,250.00T20Shane Lowry (+4500)284 / -448.300$240,250.00T20Scottie Scheffler (+400)284 / -448.300$240,250.00T20Min Woo Lee (+10000)284 / -448.300$240,250.00T20Max McGreevy (+25000)284 / -448.300$240,250.00T20Stephan Jaeger (+22000)284 / -448.300$240,250.00T30Harris English (+20000)285 / -335.000$163,750.00T30Will Zalatoris (+7500)285 / -335.000$163,750.00T30Russell Henley (+4000)285 / -335.000$163,750.00T33Justin Thomas (+2200)286 / -227.600$136,250.00T33Taylor Moore (+17000)286 / -227.600$136,250.00T33J.T. Poston (+12000)286 / -227.600$136,250.00T33Rico Hoey (+35000)286 / -227.600$136,250.00T33Kurt Kitayama (+17000)286 / -227.600$136,250.00T38Davis Riley (+60000)287 / -122.500$111,250.00T38Justin Lower (+50000)287 / -122.500$111,250.00T38Taylor Pendrith (+11000)287 / -122.500$111,250.00T38Si Woo Kim (+6500)287 / -122.500$111,250.00T42Jesper Svensson (+40000)288 / E17.625$81,687.50T42Mac Meissner (+60000)288 / E17.625$81,687.50T42Matt Kuchar (+27000)288 / E17.625$81,687.50T42Billy Horschel (+17000)288 / E17.625$81,687.50T42Tom Kim (+9000)288 / E17.625$81,687.50T42Hayden Springer (+75000)288 / E17.625$81,687.50T42Chris Kirk (+27000)288 / E17.625$81,687.50T42Ryan Gerard (+27000)288 / E17.625$81,687.50T50Jacob Bridgeman (+22000)289 / 113.875$63,500.00T50Beau Hossler (+27000)289 / 113.875$63,500.00T52Sahith Theegala (+12000)290 / 212.750$60,750.00T52Byeong Hun An (+15000)290 / 212.750$60,750.00T54Joel Dahmen (+20000)291 / 311.000$58,250.00T54Camilo Villegas (+100000)291 / 311.000$58,250.00T54Matthieu Pavon (+75000)291 / 311.000$58,250.00T54Carson Young (+40000)291 / 311.000$58,250.00T54Charley Hoffman (+35000)291 / 311.000$58,250.0059Jordan Spieth (+6500)292 / 49.500$56,750.0060Jhonattan Vegas (+30000)293 / 59.000$56,250.00T61Austin Eckroat (+20000)294 / 67.875$54,500.00T61Will Chandler (+100000)294 / 67.875$54,500.00T61Chandler Phillips (+75000)294 / 67.875$54,500.00T61Sungjae Im (+6000)294 / 67.875$54,500.00T61Trey Mullinax (+100000)294 / 67.875$54,500.00T61Cameron Young (+20000)294 / 67.875$54,500.0067Emiliano Grillo (+75000)295 / 77.000$52,750.0068Isaiah Salinda (+35000)296 / 86.750$52,250.00T69C.T. Pan (+40000)297 / 96.375$51,500.00T69Sami Välimäki (+100000)297 / 96.375$51,500.0071Rickie Fowler (+11000)300 / 126.000$50,750.0072Xander Schauffele (+2200)301 / 135.750$50,250.00

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