Rory McIlroy’s Players Championship playoff opponent J. J. Spaun shared a revealing chat they had at TPC Sawgrass.
The four-time major winner is said to have told the American about plans for his new house in the UK. After an intense weekend of golf that saw both players tied at the end of the final round, McIlroy triumphed via playoff as Spaun’s tee shot on the 17th ended in the water and slashed his title hopes.
Rory McIlroy allegedly informed J.J. Spaun of his venture at TPC Sawgrass (Image: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Despite the competitive atmosphere, the two found time to engage in friendly conversation throughout the event. Post-defeat, Spaun, who now ranks in the top 30 and has a PGA Tour win from the 2022 Valero Texas Open under his belt, opened up about his interactions with McIlroy.
During a discussion about vacationing in the UK, McIlroy let slip details about constructing a new home there. “He’s super cool. We were talking about the UK. I know he’s Northern Irish, but I asked him if he ever hangs out in London,” Spaun recounted on the Fore Play podcast.
“Because my wife has got a really good friend that lives out there and loves going there so over the last couple of years, we go on this little vacation in December to the Cotswolds. Little quaint villages that are really old, and they have pubs from like the 1700s. It is just a really cool vibe to hang out during the holidays.
“I asked him about that, and he said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m building a house out there’. He kept it really friendly and light, and then we chatted a lot until the back nine, and that was it!” McIlroy’s representatives have been approached for comment regarding the claim.
McIlroy prevailed in the playoff ( Image: Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Following his runner-up finish, Spaun banked an impressive $2.5 million in prize money. These claims made by Spaun come just one month after McIlroy himself disclosed how his better half, Erica Stoll, would prefer more time across the pond, reports the Express.
“If it was up to her, she wouldn’t move to England straightaway, but she definitely wants to spend more time there,” said McIlroy on Netflix’s hit series Full Swing’s third season.
It remains to be seen whether extended periods will be enjoyed in the home McIlroy is reportedly building. Regardless, the Northern Irish icon boasts a property portfolio that is enviable.
McIlroy’s primary base is thought to be his plush $22M mansion in Jupiter, Florida – decked out with space for six cars, tennis courts, swimming pool, and its own golfing green.
McIlroy’s Florida mansion is thought to be his base ( Image: PGA Tour)
His grand La Quinta pad in California – a sprawling mansion he reportedly snatched up six years back for a cool $12M – is yet another property that McIlroy owns.
The 35-year-old has found recent success in the two states, with his last two PGA Tour victories coming from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Players, held in California and Florida, respectively.
His impressive property portfolio also includes apartments in New York and the UAE, as well as a sprawling 200-acre 19th-century estate in County Down, Northern Ireland – just a stone’s throw away from his hometown of Holywood.
