2025 Players Championship is going to a Monday playoff: How to watch, what time it starts

AI-assisted summary
• The playoff will utilize a three-hole aggregate format on the 16th, 17th and 18th holes, followed by sudden death if necessary.
• Coverage begins at 9 a.m. ET on Golf Channel and Peacock.

It'll be Rory McIlroy vs. J.J. Spaun in a Monday playoff at the 2025 Players Championship.

Tournament officials started the final round Sunday early in hopes of avoiding a predicted storm. That did not happen, as there was a four-hour weather delay at around the mid-point of the final groups final round.

That kept any playoff from being completed Sunday night, as there would not have been enough daylight, so they're going to a Monday finish. It'll be the ninth Monday for the event and the sixth time since the Players moved to TPC Sawgrass in 1982. It'll be the sixth playoff in Players history and first since 2015.

What is the playoff format for the Players Championship?

According to the PGA Tour:

Players tied for the lead after 72 holes will settle the Players in a three-hole aggregate playoff. This format was instituted in 2014 after the tournament had used a sudden-death playoff format in previous years.

The three-hole playoff will use players' total scores from TPC Sawgrass' famed trio of closing holes: Nos. 16, 17 and 18.

If there’s still a tie after those three holes, the playoff will move into sudden-death format. Sudden death will start on the island-green 17th before proceeding to No. 18 if necessary.

If there is still a tie, the sudden-death playoff will continue at No. 16 and then 17 and 18.

What are the playoff records for Rory McIlroy, J.J. Spaun?

Mcllroy, who has 27 PGA Tour wins, is 3-2 in playoffs. His last playoff was at 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, a team event he played with Shane Lowry. His last individual playoff win was the 2020 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions when he defeated Xander Schauffele. Spaun has one career PGA Tour win in 227 starts and has never gone to a playoff.

How to watch the 2025 Players Championship playoff

The Monday playoff will start at 9 a.m. ET on Golf Channel on TV and be live streamed on Peacock.

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