Remember when Rickie Fowler played the final four holes of regulation in 5-under par to force a playoff at the 2015 Players Championship? Well, fast forward to 2025, and we’re witnessing another playoff showdown at TPC Sawgrass. This time, it’s Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun who will battle it out Monday morning after a dramatic Sunday finish that saw a four-hour rain delay turn the final round into a race against darkness.

So, what led to this unexpected Monday playoff? When play resumed after the thunderstorm delay, McIlroy had built a commanding three-shot lead with just six holes remaining. But, as has been the story for McIlroy in recent years, he couldn’t slam the door shut when it mattered most. “I’m happy to be in the position that I am, but also I feel like I had chances there on the back nine to close the door, and I didn’t quite do that,” the Northern Irishman admitted in his post-round press conference, his mixed emotions evident after finishing tied at 12-under with Spaun.

McIlroy’s troubles began at the 14th hole when a mishit drive that never reached its usual apex veered right of the fairway, forcing him to lay up. He needed a clutch 5-foot putt just to save a bogey. Then came another missed opportunity at the 15th, where despite finally finding the fairway with a 3-wood, he missed a birdie putt from a similar five-foot distance.

The par-5 16th offered McIlroy a chance to regain control after reaching the green in two shots, but he failed to capitalize. On the iconic island green 17th, his birdie putt from the fringe missed by inches. Even his par putt on 18 barely found the cup after curling in an unexpected direction. “I think as the light was fading, I just was struggling to read them a little bit,” McIlroy explained, though his performance felt like yet another chapter in his growing book of close calls.

Meanwhile, Spaun fought back valiantly after a disappointing bogey on the par-5 11th put him three shots behind. The world No. 57 delivered clutch shot after clutch shot, including knocking his approach to a foot on the 14th and executing a perfect up-and-down for a birdie on the 16th. His 30-foot birdie putt on 18 that would have won it all stopped agonizingly short, forcing the Monday playoff for the $4.5m winner’s share from the $25 million.

What makes this opportunity particularly significant is that McIlroy has already recorded a win this season at Pebble Beach. Interestingly, he has never won twice on the PGA Tour in a calendar year before the Masters. Winning at TPC Sawgrass just weeks before the Masters will potentially set up McIlroy for success at Augusta. This playoff represents not just a chance to claim the prestigious title but also to break that peculiar pattern in his otherwise stellar career.

This scenario of a missed chance feels eerily familiar for McIlroy fans, who have watched their hero accumulate an impressive collection of near-misses in recent years. Since his last major victory at the 2014 PGA Championship, McIlroy has stacked up an astonishing 30 top-10 finishes in majors without adding to his four major titles.

Rory McIlroy’s history with heartbreaking finishes

The pattern of heartbreak has been especially pronounced throughout 2024. In January, McIlroy led the Dubai Invitational by one shot on the final hole before his tee shot found water, resulting in a devastating one-stroke loss. At the U.S. Open in June, he lost a two-stroke lead with just four holes remaining, finishing one-stroke ahead of the winner.

Later in the summer, he surrendered a four-shot advantage during the final round of the Irish Open at Royal County Down. Then came his playoff loss to Billy Horschel at the BMW PGA Championship in September. With each near-miss, a concerning trend has become impossible to ignore.

The three-hole aggregate playoff, scheduled for 9 a.m. ET Monday will feature TPC Sawgrass’s dynamic finishing stretch: the par-5 16th, the iconic island green par-3 17th, and the challenging par-4 18th. For McIlroy, it represents another opportunity to either break his pattern of heartbreaking finishes or add another painful chapter to his story. Will he finally close the door this time? Monday morning can’t come soon enough.