Rory McIlroy, like so many successful athletes at the top of their sport, spends a lot of his time fighting outside narratives.

His Players Championship victory, and the process by which he reached the end, hoisting the trophy after defeating journeyman J.J. Spaun in a three-hole aggregate playoff Monday at TPC Sawgrass, represented a good example of the volatile nature of the McIlroy narratives.

That McIlroy was in the playoff in the first place, not having closed the tournament out in regulation on Sunday, was a source of consternation for many.

And yet, to get to the playoff in the first place, McIlroy overcame a four-shot deficit in the final round by shooting 68 in the wind.