“You Don’t Know Sh*t”: Rory McIlroy’s Rival Fires Back at Haters After TPC Sawgrass Act Sparks Criticism

The stage was set for a dramatic showdown at TPC Sawgrass as JJ Spaun found himself in a nail-biting three-hole playoff against Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship. Both players had matched each other’s 72-hole total, but it was McIlroy who showed why he’s a four-time major winner when the pressure was on. Spaun, having put up a strong fight, had everything to gain, but the iconic 17th hole proved to be his undoing. McIlroy, fresh off a morning spent perfecting his 9-iron, executed a flawless shot right onto the green, while Spaun’s decision to club up and play it safe backfired, as his shot sailed over the green and into trouble. That misstep led to a triple bogey, and despite McIlroy’s own struggles with a three-putt, the Northern Irishman maintained a three-shot lead heading into the 18th.

It was here, on the final hole, that McIlroy sealed the deal, claiming his second Players title and once again proving why he’s one of the best in the game. In the aftermath, Spaun admitted he was shocked his shot went awry but stood by his club choice, saying he wasn’t influenced by McIlroy’s decision. He had been hitting 8-irons all morning and felt confident about his approach. It was a tough loss, but Spaun took it in stride, showing just how determined he is to keep pushing forward. Reflecting on the situation, Spaun explained on the Fore Play Podcast Plus, “We warmed up in the same direction wind and it was probably 50° 52 degrees, and it had been 75-80 every single day. For the people that don’t understand golf physics, when it’s colder, the ball goes shorter and spins a little less.”

Despite the change in conditions, Spaun was confident in his club choice, adding, “We were warming up, and we knew it’s the same pin location, same tee as regulation, so we knew how far it was. I was literally hitting 8 irons 128 yards into the wind, carrying perfect, and the pin was 130.” Though McIlroy had already played, Spaun made it clear that his decision was driven by his own preparation and understanding of the situation, saying, “I didn’t care what Rory was hitting, but I looked just to gauge. What if he was hitting an eight or some sh*t? I knew he was going to pull a nine. I was never thinking of seven. It was eight. The kind of shot I hit with it was going to determine whether it was the right distance.”

Despite his calculated choice, the result wasn’t as expected, and Spaun admitted that “I honestly hit it a little higher than I wanted to.” He acknowledged the strength of McIlroy’s game, noting, “Rory’s two clubs longer than me. I mean, he’s the longest guy, one of the longest guys on tour. Everybody knows that.” While many fans criticized Spaun’s decision after McIlroy’s success with a nine-iron, Spaun remained confident in his approach, saying, “It’s like you don’t know sh*t. I mean, he just hit a pitching wedge on 16 with the wind going, helping, 190 yards.” He pointed out that the conditions were drastically different on the 17th, “It’s just the difference of a wind direction straight into us. He hit a great shot, and he hit it to the fat of the green, which has more distance of green behind you.”

Spaun ultimately accepted that the shot he hit was just a bit off, admitting, “It was just the wrong shot in terms of needing to get it to float more.” Still, he maintained, “I hit my window, I hit the number I wanted to, and it just was, I guess, the wrong club. But I wouldn’t say it was the wrong club, it was just the wrong shot.” When the ball was in the air, Spaun was hopeful, stating, “Honestly, when it was in the air, I thought it was going to be good. If anything, I thought it was going to be short because it just looked like it was hanging in there.” As the ball fell, Spaun had no idea where it had landed, sharing, “It’s like when you’re playing into the wind and the ball starts coming backward. You know that [sht] ain’t going anywhere.” After a few moments, the outcome became clear. “We didn’t hear anything really. We heard a couple of moans up by the green, but it wasn’t like an astounding, ‘Oh, it’s in the water.’”

With the loss, Spaun became the latest addition to the list of underdogs to have their dreams frustrated by the island green—a list that has names like Sean O’Hair, Paul Goydos, and Len Mattiace.