McIlroy blocks out noise and hits his stride with Players Championship win

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Rory McIlroy managed to block out all the noise, all the distractions, and this was long before he even reached the pivotal three-hole finish at the TPC Sawgrass to win The Players Championship.

McIlroy, more than any other player, has been looked upon as golf ’s next big thing in the decade since age and injuries began to slow Tiger Woods.

Jack Nicklaus took to Twitter on Sunday night for memories of the time McIlroy first came to meet with him ahead of the 2010 Masters, and a few months later the precocious 20-yearold from Northern Ireland shot 62 on the final day at Quail Hollow for his first PGA Tour victory.

McIlroy set the U.S. Open scoring record a year later with an eight-shot victory. He had four majors — missing only a green jacket — at age 25.

So with McIlroy approaching his 30th birthday, and with only one victory over his previous 50 tournaments worldwide, the critics took notice. When he played in the final group nine times without winning — never mind that he was at least three shots back on five of those occasions — questions about his ability to close became louder.

His patience was tested when he began this year by playing in the final group in three out of his five tournaments, finishing no worse than a tie for sixth.

But he never showed any hint on panic.