PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - It took an extra day, but Rory McIlroy didn't mind the wait.

McIlroy won the 51st edition of THE PLAYERS Championship Monday morning, outlasting J.J. Spaun in a three-hole aggregate playoff. In the process, he became the first European to capture two PLAYERS titles, having also conquered TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course in 2019, and he joined Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler as the only players with multiple major and PLAYERS victories.

It was a wild week at TPC Sawgrass, capped by McIlroy's overtime performance that delivered an outright win after the Ulsterman teed off at +1000 at FanDuel Sportsbook behind only Scheffler in the eyes of oddsmakers.

With the TOUR's flagship event now in the books and the Masters just three weeks away, here are five betting takeaways from the week that was:

1. Rory McIlroy has never had more momentum heading to Augusta

McIlroy also captured the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, and this marks the first time that he has won twice on TOUR ahead of the Masters. He's always a headliner at Augusta National Golf Club, where he'll renew his quest for the only major that has eluded him while also looking to snap an 11-year drought in the majors.

McIlroy has tried every approach possible in his lead-up to Augusta: Play more, play less, lock in with serious prep, try to downplay expectations. None of it has worked. But now he'll bring momentum and expectations in equal parts up to Georgia, as FanDuel oddsmakers have already shortened McIlroy's Masters price to +600. With defending champ Scottie Scheffler at +480, it's not inconceivable to have McIlroy tee off as the outright betting favorite next month.

2. TPC Sawgrass will always be an equalizing venue

Spaun's runner-up performance will garner plenty of attention, and deservedly so as he came within a couple inches on his final birdie putt Sunday night from cashing the biggest win of his career as a +12500 longshot. But he wasn't the only player to charge into contention at long odds: Bud Cauley joined Spaun in the final group Sunday en route to a T6 finish, while Danny Walker went from +100000 odds as the second-to-last man in the field to a T6 result that could change the trajectory of his season.

Spaun's performance was particularly remarkable, given he had struggled mightily in six prior PLAYERS starts. But the Stadium Course's quirks and demands don't cater to a single type of player, as a variety of approaches can prove effective if properly executed. The weather conditions this week put an extra emphasis on ball-striking, and McIlroy is the sixth straight winner since the move to March to begin the week at +3000 odds or shorter. But the makeup of this final leaderboard shows that there is still merit in a few longshot tickets at TPC Sawgrass.

3. Collin Morikawa needs to find his putter

Raise your hand if you (like me) banked on Collin Morikawa bouncing back from his close call at Bay Hill with a win this week. It wasn't to be, though, as Morikawa put together another performance with which his backers are all too familiar: elite ball-striking with a less than cooperative putter.

Morikawa's title chances took a big hit with a Saturday 77 in blustery conditions, but he was still in the mix Sunday had a few more putts dropped. The two-time major champ closed with a 3-under 69 to finish T10 at 7 under, but it came despite four birdie misses from inside 15 feet. Had those putts fallen, he would have been within one shot of the eventual playoff.

Morikawa's elite iron play will always keep him on the short list at big events, but his first win in nearly 18 months won't come without better results on the greens.

4. Akshay Bhatia will win again soon

Bhatia finished in a three-way tie for third at 10 under, two shots out of the playoff after going 75-70 over the weekend. But he more than acquitted himself well under the biggest spotlight of his career, dealing with the weight of the final pairing Saturday in difficult conditions and delivering a number of quality shots down the stretch on Sunday.

Like Morikawa, Bhatia was slowed at times by a balky putter. But there were a lot of positive takeaways for the 23-year-old, who has won on TOUR each of the last three years and will defend his title at the Valero Texas Open. A third career victory doesn't feel out of reach for Bhatia, whose career trajectory continues to ascend after taking an unconventional path to the professional ranks.

5. Xander Schauffele has work to do ahead of the Masters

Schauffele's career year in 2024 was marked by a pair of major titles, and he entered the new year as the closest pursuer to Scheffler's dominance. Not only has he lost that mantle now to McIlroy, he has some questions to answer before driving down Magnolia Lane.

Schauffele endured a significant layoff while nursing a rib injury early in the year, but the first two starts of his return haven't gone as planned. He had to scrape at both Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass to keep his TOUR-leading consecutive made cuts streak alive, one that dates back to the 2022 Masters. But he couldn't rally over the weekend, and his closing scores this week particularly raised eyebrows as he shot 77-81 to finish last among the 72 players who made the cut.

Schauffele's Masters odds have now drifted out to +1500 at FanDuel, putting him behind Scheffler and McIlroy in addition to Ludvig Åberg. That line could move significantly in either direction based on his performance this week in the Valspar Championship: a strong showing could draw backers, while a third straight underwhelming performance could signal larger issues at a critical juncture of the season.