NOTES AND QUOTES - 2025 PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP ON NBC, GOLF CHANNEL, AND PEACOCK (FINAL ROUND)

NBC Sports

17-03-2025

*PROGRAMMING ALERT* - Rory McIlroy Faces J.J. Spaun in 2025 PLAYERS Championship Playoff Monday at 9 a.m. ET Live on GOLF Channel and Peacock
'We've got a playoff between J.J. Spaun and Rory McIlroy which epitomizes it. A guy looking for win number two and the Hall of Famer to be Rory McIlroy.' – Dan Hicks on what makes THE PLAYERS special
'You really have to tip your cap to Spaun…It's really hard to find the hidden harmonies in that chaos.' – Brandel Chamblee on Spaun during today's weather-delayed round
'I can understand why he's disappointed. That was there to be won. He did the hard work, he got himself in position, and then flatlined.' – Paul McGinley on McIlroy
STAMFORD, Conn. – March 16, 2025 – NBC Sports presented final round coverage of THE PLAYERS Championship from The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., on NBC, GOLF Channel, and Peacock. Golf Central Live From THE PLAYERS followed with post-round coverage on GOLF Channel.
Rory McIlroy will face J.J. Spaun in a playoff to decide the 2025 PLAYERS Champion Monday morning at 9 a.m. ET live on GOLF Channel and Peacock. Click here for NBC Sports' coverage details.
Dan Hicks and Terry Gannon handled play-by-play duties, while Kevin Kisner and Brad Faxon served as analysts. Jim 'Bones' Mackay, Smylie Kaufman, John Wood, and Curt Byrum served as on-course reporters, while Cara Banks handled reports and interviews.
Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee, Paul McGinley, Johnson Wagner, and Todd Lewis, anchored Live From THE PLAYERS post-round coverage on GOLF Channel. Following are notes and quotes from today's coverage.
The PLAYERS Championship – Final Results
ON TOMORROW MORNING'S PLAYOFF
Hicks on what makes THE PLAYERS so special: 'We've got a playoff between J.J. Spaun and Rory McIlroy which epitomizes it. A guy looking for win number two and the hall of famer to be Rory McIlroy.'
Kisner on the player's mindset going into tomorrow's playoff: 'All you're trying to do is focus on that first tee shot on hole 16 and hitting the fairway so that you know it's a birdie opportunity, and then it's game on when you get to 17 tee.'
ON CONDITIONS AT TPC SAWGRASS AND WEATHER DELAY
Kisner on handling the four-hour weather delay today: 'You just don't have time to do your normal prep. Most guys get to the golf course two hours, two and a half hours before their tee time. This time around, they're sitting around the locker room, laying down, napping, watching TV, eating, drinking, and suddenly a guy walks in and says, 'We're going back in 45 minutes.' It changes everything, everybody rushes. I always struggle with I have different feels, you know when you're playing you've got the momentum, adrenaline going. You get certain feels that you're going with in the round and then suddenly it's like starting a whole new day…They're all going to be trying to find new feels.'
Faxon on players regaining feel following the delay: 'It definitely takes a shot to trust it. Players are now wearing sweaters that they weren't before we went off. Everything feels a little bit different.'
Kisner on how a delay can help a player who was sputtering in the round: 'Hopefully when you got back on the range for this warm-up, you got some better feels, and you get a little more confident. Not sure where J.J. Spaun was practicing 62-yard bunker shots around the practice area, but if you get back on the range and you find a good rhythm and you find some good feels, then you might be really confident coming out of this weather delay.'
ON RORY MCILROY (-12, T1)
McIlroy to Smylie Kaufman post-round on having a three-shot lead: 'I hit a pretty bad tee shot on 14 and gave myself a good chance for par there and then I had two really good chances on 15 and 16. I felt like it got a little darker on 15 and 16, there was like a little cell that was a few miles away and really struggled to read those two putts. So I had two good chances that slipped by there on both those holes…Ultimately a good two putt on 18. All day it was a bit of a battle. I'm standing here feeling like I probably should be going home with a trophy tonight, but that's fine. I'll reset and hopefully go home with a trophy tomorrow morning…It was nice to two-putt that and at least give myself a chance tomorrow.'
McGinley on McIlroy: 'I can understand why he's disappointed. That was there to be won. He did the hard work, he got himself in position, and then flatlined.'
Hicks on McIlroy's par putt on 18: 'If you're a fan of Rory, you know about all the history, especially at the U.S. Open last summer. Excruciating misses coming down the stretch.'
Hicks on McIlroy walking up the 17th hole with a one-shot lead: 'This is golf pretty much as good as it gets…You've got Rory McIlroy, the most popular player in the game in this kind of setting -- the island green.'
Kisner on McIlroy's chances at the start of the final round: 'When you look at the top of that leaderboard, you don't see a ton of experience...if I was in that top three, I wouldn't like the way that Rory started today with a birdie.'
Faxon on how McIlroy prepared for the final round: 'He was very calm this morning. He watched two Will Ferrell movies last night just to laugh. Who else (in the field) did that?'
ON J.J. SPAUN (-12, T1)
Spaun to Cara Banks post-round: 'I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I just kind of put a lot of faith in myself and my caddie Mark (Carens)…I think the little break we had with the weather helped me regroup and reset and kind of came out with a different mindset instead of being so nervous.'
Spaun to Todd Lewis on keeping his focus: 'I just kind of put my head down and started trying to clutch up. I started telling myself that I have nothing to lose. He's got the lead, so now even more I have nothing to lose. Started trusting myself more, committing to my shots, committing to my swing and fortunately made some birdies coming in.'
Chamblee on Spaun: 'You really have to tip your cap to Spaun. Just think for a second. You've got to deal with the changing winds, you've got to deal with the rain, you're dealing with clearly the strongest player in the field starting birdie-eagle. You're in the lead dealing with delays. It's really hard to find the hidden harmonies in that chaos.'
McGinley on Spaun: 'You have to give him credit for not just sitting back and taking a big check finishing in second or third and hunting down McIlroy down the stretch.'
Kisner on Spaun's missed birdie attempt on 18 to win: 'He had it right in the jaws too, I bet you he was loving watching that roll.'
Mackay on Spaun watching McIlroy putt: 'J.J. walked up to me and asked me what Rory was up to in terms of what he was putting for up on the 18th green - turns out it was a par. J.J.'s caddie then walked up to him, put his arm around him, and said 'let's stay in the moment.''
Mackay on Spaun's relief on third shot on 9th hole leading to birdie: 'It was fascinating. He was in a horrible lie and he was standing in a sprinkler, but still nowhere near the fairway. He took relief and within that club (of relief) was another sprinkler. He intentionally dropped it in that sprinkler, got a second club length away from that, and got himself into the fairway.
Kisner: 'A lot of misses to the right for J.J. early in the round. He just looks anxious and getting a little quicker than he has been.'
ON LUCAS GLOVER (-10, T3)
Hicks: 'Talk about stringing together sensational tournament after tournaments, this guy at the age of 45 says there's still a lot winning left in his career. By the way he's played this week, who would doubt him?'
Kisner: 'He's just such an elite ball striker, it keeps him around at all types of tournaments, all types of golf courses. He can flat still play with these young guns.'
ON BUD CAULEY (-9, T6)
Kisner on Cauley's early final round struggles: 'Bud has looked late all day with his arms to me. He has hit every ball a little to the right...just a little bit of that pressure. He just needs to get his composure and get his rhythm back with his arms.'
Kisner: 'His putting has left him today. He was putting so well early in the week, but not that well for the season, and he seems to be reverting back to that.'
--NBC SPORTS--