If the PGA Tour journeyman wins the 2025 Players, he'll look back at how he took advantage of the Rules on the ninth hole Sunday to turn a nightmare lie into an improbable birdie

Jim "Bones" Mackay said J.J. Spaun purposely dropped his golf ball on a sprinkler head to get relief from the rough into the fairway.

One of those underdogs is J.J. Spaun, who began Saturday’s third round in solo third at 10-under par and one shot off the lead. He is also playing in the penultimate pairing with McIlroy, thus setting up quite the dichotomy since the Northern Irishman is perhaps the most popular player in the sport not named Tiger Woods.

Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun are headed for a three-hole playoff to decide The Players Championship. But it won't happen until Monday.

Golf fans will have to wait an extra day to see who will win The Players Championship after Rory McIlroy and JJ Spaun finished the final round tied atop the leaderboard at 12-under par.

The Players Championship will be decided in a three-hole playoff between Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun. Here's when they'll tee it up at TPC Sawgrass.