[Winners Club] McIlroy Finished with a Tee Shot

Perfect Tee Shot Secures Victory in The Players Championship Playoff
Easily Makes Birdie on 16th Hole with Pitching Wedge and Two Putts
Equipped with TaylorMade Qi10 Driver and Woods
"Two Playoff Tee Shots Brought Me the Win"

He won the championship with a perfect tee shot.

This is the story of Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), ranked 2nd in the world. On the 17th (local time), he claimed the top spot at The Players Championship (total prize money $25 million), the 5th major tournament of the PGA Tour, held at TPC Sawgrass (par 72) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA. He defeated J.J. Spaun (USA) in a three-hole aggregate playoff. This was his second win of the season and 28th career victory, coming one month after the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the 2nd of last month, with a winner's prize of $4.5 million (approximately 6.5 billion KRW).

Rory McIlroy is teeing off on the 16th hole, the first hole of the playoff at The Players Championship. Ponte Vedra Beach=AFP·Yonhap News Photo

Two precise tee shots were the driving force behind his victory. On the first playoff hole, the 16th hole (par 5), he landed a 336-yard tee shot in the center of the fairway. After pitching the ball onto the green with a pitching wedge, he easily made a birdie with two putts. On the second playoff hole, the 17th hole (par 3), he safely landed the ball on the green with a 9-iron. Spaun, who made par on the 16th hole, dropped his tee shot into the water on the 17th hole, resulting in a triple bogey. McIlroy said, "The three shots?the tee shot and second shot on the 16th hole, and the tee shot on the 17th hole?brought me the victory."

McIlroy used TaylorMade drivers and fairway woods. He carried a Qi10 driver (9 degrees) and TaylorMade Qi10 fairway woods 3-wood (15 degrees) and 5-wood (18 degrees) in his caddie bag. During the tournament, his average drive distance was 299.80 yards (ranked 23rd), and his greens in regulation rate was 62.67% (ranked 39th), earning him his second trophy at this tournament following his 2019 victory. McIlroy expressed confidence, saying, "My performance has improved more than ever before."

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees)

Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Qi10 (15, 18 degrees)

Irons: TaylorMade Proto (#4), TaylorMade Ross Proto (#5-9)

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46, 50, 54, 60 degrees)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Ball: TaylorMade TP5 *Source: PGA Tour