Q. You win for a second time this season. How good does this taste right now?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, amazing. I left here a little disappointed last night that I didn't get it done in regulation. I reset, and I needed to go out and play some good golf today.
It started with a great drive on 16 which set me up for an easy birdie. Then a great swing into 17, and those three swings were basically what decided the championship.
I feel for J.J.; he's had a great week. To have it end that way for him was hard to see.
But he's playing great, and I'm sure he's got some really good things coming up.
Q. How much of an off-speed 9-iron was that at 17, or was it more than you thought? That wind this morning was gusting above those ground stands and it was howling.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, I have this little three-quarter three-quarter shot I call it. It's three quarter backswing with three quarter speed. I hit it into the last with an 8-iron, as well.
I practiced a ton of those shots on the range all week, just knowing that we were going to play in windy conditions.
Q. Was that the same little off-speed you were hitting on the weekend at Pebble Beach when you were flighting it down so well on Saturday?
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it is. I said to Harry there, that shot is going to take us a long way. I've become really comfortable with that shot, so even in conditions like this, I feel like I've got everything pretty much under control, which is a really nice feeling.
Q. I know you play this game for legacy. I know you play this game for history. You love this sport. You love the names that you get to align yourself with. It's a small group that have won this twice. This is THE PLAYERS Championship; you are the champion of your competitors, of your friends out here, of this entire TOUR. It's got to mean something to you at this point in your career as you continue to build this legacy.
RORY McILROY: Yeah, it really does. Watching Scottie go two in a row last year was unbelievably impressive, and I think the only multiple major champions and multiple PLAYERS champions are Jack, Tiger, Scottie and myself, so it's a pretty nice group to be a part of.
I feel like I'm a better player now than I ever have been, and it's nice to see the fruits of my labor paying off.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports