Is Rory McIlroy playing The Players Championship 2025 at TPC Sawgrass?

After disappointing results at the Genesis Open and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Rory McIlroy is all cleared to enter the next PGA Tour event, The Players Championship 2025. The Northern Irish professional golfer is set to step up to the TPC Sawgrass golf course to tee off for the Players starting on March 13.

McIlroy last played in the Arnold Palmer Invitational 2025, where he tied for the 15th spot on the leaderboard. The Players Championship is scheduled to start on March 13 and conclude on March 16. Professional golfers at Players Stadium Course will be fighting for the prestigious title with a $25,000,000 prize purse. Tracking Rory, an account on X(previously Twitter), keeps track of McIlroy's every venture, and they posted an update on March 11, 2025, to confirm the former No.1 golfer's participation in The Players.

"Rory McIlroy is back at TPC Sawgrass for #THEPLAYERS"

McIlroy was off to a good start with his 2025 season so far. The World No. 2 golfer made three starts this year, making the cut in all of them. McIlroy opened 2025 by winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, finishing 21-under 267 and earning $3,600,000. He tied for 15th place in the 2025 Genesis Invitational leaderboard, finishing 3-under 285.

Rory McIlroy secured a T15 at the latest Arnold Palmer Invitational. McIlroy has played in the Players before, as well. He won the competition back in 2019 with a 1-stroke margin over Jim Furyk. The Northern Irish golfer finished 16-under 272 with an overall score of 67-65-70-70.

Rory McIlroy changes his golf equipment before The Masters

After a decent start at this season's PGA Tour and a victory at Pebble Beach, the 35-year-old is standing at a very crucial stage in his career. McIlroy is just one Augusta National win away from achieving a career grand slam. Amid PGA Tour's Florida Swing, McIlroy recently switched his golf equipment back to the older ones.

After concluding the last round at Arnold Palmer Invitational with an even par, Rory McIlroy said (quoted by Australian Golf Digest),

"I led strokes gained: off the tee in both Pebble and Torrey, so it was a really good idea to change. I tried new woods for the first three days, didn't quite work out the way I wanted it to. So, yeah, I went back to my old stuff. Driver, fairway wood, everything. I'll see how next week goes and then, just sort of see what I feel like and what I think I need."

Rory McIlroy further talked about his expectations with this year's Masters Tournament. In his statement, Rory said (quoted by Australian Golf Digest):

"I think it [Augusta] is just going to be a little bit different this year. There's some areas of the course that are maybe a little thinner tree-wise, just with the hurricane that rolled through. The 16th is new green, so yeah I'll probably go up there once or twice beforehand."

Rory McIlroy gained 1.3 strokes after 36 holes at Bay Hill, which is his usual number after 1 round. However, it will be a sight to see if McIlroy's performance at Augusta National improves with his decision to switch golf equipment.