Rory McIlroy receives Masters boost as career first arrives before Augusta bid

McIlroy has now won twice on the PGA Tour before the Masters for the first time in his career

(AP)

Rory McIlroy believes the best golf of his career is yet to come after he celebrated St Patrick’s Day by defeating JJ Spaun in a play-off to win a second Players Championship title.

McIlroy covered the three extra holes in one over par, but that was comfortably enough to beat Spaun in a somewhat anticlimactic finish at TPC Sawgrass.

A two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th gave McIlroy a one-shot advantage after Spaun could only make par after finding rough off the tee and a bunker with his approach.

McIlroy then safely found the green on the treacherous 17th before Spaun, who looked unsure of his club selection in the windy conditions, flew his tee shot over the green into the water.

The resulting triple bogey effectively ended the American’s chances of a second PGA Tour victory, even though McIlroy surprisingly three-putted from 30 feet.

McIlroy also bogeyed the 18th but Spaun still had 10 feet left for his own bogey and did not complete the hole after McIlroy tapped in to seal a 28th PGA Tour title.

“I feel bad for JJ, he hit a really good shot on 17 and it just went straight through the wind. I was lucky to do enough to get it done,” McIlroy said.

“(I’m) unbelievably proud and happy to win my second Players Championship. This is the third time I’ve won on St Patrick’s Day, so it’s been a good luck charm for me.

“Watching Scottie (Scheffler) go two in a row last year was unbelievably impressive and I think the only multiple major champions and multiple Players champions are Jack (Nicklaus), Tiger (Woods), Scottie and myself – so it’s a pretty nice group to be a part of.

“I feel like I’m a better player now than I ever have been and it’s nice to see the fruits of my labour paying off.

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“The younger guys coming out are getting better every single year and I need to keep working hard to hang with them. I’m doing a pretty good job of that.

“I feel like I’ve still got a few years left in the tank.”

Following his victory in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, McIlroy has now won twice on the PGA Tour before the Masters for the first time in his career.

The world number two needs a victory in the year’s first major championship at Augusta National to complete the career grand slam.

Asked if his best golf could be yet to come, McIlroy told Sky Sports: “Absolutely. I don’t think I should be out here if I didn’t believe my best golf was in front of me.

“I want to try keep improving and getting better and it’s the reason that, after 16 or 17 years out here, I’m still doing it.”

McIlroy had started Sunday’s final round four shots behind overnight leader Spaun, but carded a closing 68 to Spaun’s 72 on a day interrupted by a four-hour delay due to bad weather.