Rory McIlroy Watched the Unlikeliest of Movies Night Before Winning Players Championship

Victory can be inspired by many different things.

Rory McIlroy poses with the winning trophy after a three-hole aggregate playoff of The Players Championship PGA golf tournment Monday, March 17, 2025 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rory McIlroy breezed to victory in a three-hole playoff against J.J. Spaun at the Players Championship on Monday, and it may be thanks to a very chill Sunday spent kicking back and watching an Anne Hathaway classic.

Before turning in for the night, McIlroy revealed that he fired up a little The Devil Wears Prada.

Rory just told us that he watched a little bit of Devil Wears Prada last night before the Monday morning playoff, and yes, I totally forgot my follow-up question in the presser after hearing that.

"You're thinking about Devil Wears Prada."

Thank you for the assist, Rory. 🥲

— Gabby Herzig (@GabbyHerzig) March 17, 2025

Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking. pic.twitter.com/krzAQZRuZl

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 17, 2025

The 2006 classic has many aspirational and inspirational messages just as applicable to the fashion industry as they are to the course. Anything McIlroy was able to glean, though, had to come from the beginning of the movie as he did not see it through to completion.

Rory McIlroy says he ordered room service and watched a little of “The Devil Wears Prada” before going to bed last night.

Woke up at 3 a.m. and didn’t go back to sleep. Also, didn’t finish the movie.

But did win the playoff.

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) March 17, 2025

McIlroy is enjoying a red-hot start to the PGA Tour season, notching his second victory of the year after cruising to the winner's circle at Pebble Beach in early February. Whatever he is doing seems to be working so perhaps there's a new tradition here.

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