Rory McIlroy has ruled out retiring from golf any time soon after beating JJ Spaun to win the Players Championship at Sawgrass on Monday.
The Northern Irishman finished with a bogey to become the first European star to win the trophy on more than one occasion.
McIlroy, after falling slightly away towards the end of yesterday, was forced to battle Spaun via a play-off.
And with his rival shooting a costly triple bogey on the 17th hole, the Briton was then able to capitalise and secure glory.
Rory McIlroy has ruled out retiring from golf any time soon after beating JJ Spaun to win the Players Championship at Sawgrass on Monday
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McIlroy, after 18 years on tour and 28 victories, continues to excel in the sport.
He will go into the Masters next month as one of the favourites, especially given how he's already won two titles in 2025.
And McIlroy has now announced that he's got no desire to walk away from golf any time soon, with the 35-year-old warning his rivals he's still got a 'few years left in the tank'.
"I'm really proud of my body of work," he said.
"I turned pro in 2007 and my first season on the PGA Tour was in 2009.
"I've tried to get better every year and I feel like I'm continuing trying to do that.
"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."
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Rory McIlroy wins The Players on St Patrick's Day! 🍀🏆 pic.twitter.com/OQ3eAIFahz
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) March 17, 2025
McIlroy also admitted he was 'unbelievably proud' to have etched his name into the history books once more.
"The wind came out in a completely different direction to yesterday - I'm glad we didn't have to play 18 holes in that!" he joked.
"I feel really bad for JJ. He hit a great shot on the 17th but it just went straight through the wind. I was lucky to do enough to get it done.
"I am unbelievably proud and happy to win my second Players Championship.
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"And it's the third time I've won on St Patrick's Day. It's been a good-luck charm for me!
"I did it a different way this week. I had to putt well. I needed to chip well. I saw way too much of the pine straw.
"But I feel if one part of my game isn't there, I have other parts to bail me out and it's a really nice feeling to have that in my golf game."
Furthermore, McIlroy also confessed that seeing Scottie Scheffler win The Players twice in succession, in 2023 and 2024, motivated him.
Rory McIlroy poses with his trophy after beating JJ Spaun to win Players Championship
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He continued: "Seeing what Scottie did last year, going back to back...
"Scottie has been on an unbelievable run and inspired all of us to try to be better. I need to be better if I want to compete with him.
"I've knuckled down - I've worked hard. It's nice to tie him with this [a second Players title], and Tiger and the five others that have won this multiple times.
"I went home last night thinking i shouild have had this. I reset. I had not a great night's sleep but made the swings I needed to today."
