McIlroy and Spaun face Monday play-off at The Players

Round four leaderboard of The Players Championship

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e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (NI), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> JJ class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Spaun class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US) class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> * class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText 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class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Bhatia class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> L class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Glover class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US) class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> -9 class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> D class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Walker class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> C class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Conners class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (Can) class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> -8 class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> R class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> MacIntyre class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (Sco), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> B class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Cauley class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US)

class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>Selected others: -7 C Morikawa (US) class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>-5 A Rai (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng) -4 S Scheffler (US), S Lowry (Ire) -2 J Thomas (US), + 4 Spieth (US) + 13 X Schauffele (US)

* Three-hole play-off between McIlroy and Spaun will take place on Monday at 13:00 GMT.

Rory McIlroy says he “should be going home with the trophy,” but he’ll have to go back for a play-off on Monday after JJ Spaun, an American, blew his lead over the final few holes of a Players Championship that was a result of the storm.

The 2019 champion jumped into a three-shot lead at the 12th hole after four hours due to lightning in Florida before losing his grip on the greens and being pulled back by overnight leader Spaun.

Spaun’s superb birdie putt from 31 feet on the 18th green, for example, came just inches away from winning.

McIlroy said, “I feel like I gave myself opportunities to close the door and win this golf tournament, but I didn’t quite do that.” Therefore, I’ll have to go about it the hard way.

It was announced that McIlroy and Spaun would be competing in a three-hole play-off on Monday at 13:00 GMT, which you can follow live on the BBC Sport website. This will determine who will win the 51st iteration of the PGA Tour’s flagship event.

According to Spaun, “I believe this much pressure is the highest I’ve ever experienced.” Making some clutch shots on the back nine gives me some self-assurance.

McIlroy shot four shots back, eight under par, before birdieing the first, and then eagle three at par five to almost negate Spaun’s advantage.

He finished in the top eight after making a bogey at seven, overcoming constant challenges from Spaun, fellow Americans Akshay Bhatia, and Tom Hoge, who had earlier tied for eighth.

Just before play was suspended at 17:15 GMT due to the risk of lightning, he took home first place with a fantastic 14-foot birdie putt on the 11th place.

Four hours later, McIlroy and Spaun both shot birdies in the 12th and 11th, giving the game a three-shot lead.

As the tension grew around this well-known course, Spaun could close the gap with a ragged bogey at the 14th.

Spaun joined him at 12 under with a tap-in birdie on the par-five 16th, which made the four-time major winner miss out on in the 15th and 16th.

McIlroy, 34, a veteran American player, fought back from 70 feet on the 17th hole with a strong par on the green while McIlroy, a veteran player, two-putt from 70 feet on the 18th, puffing out his cheeks in relief as his four-foot par putt sank amid the gloom.

Spaun also failed to succeed in tackling the last, falling 30 feet short of the goal, which would change his career. His ball was stopped far short of entering the hole, which left him speechless.

McIlroy is in a great position to keep the momentum going because he already has won on the PGA Tour this year at the Pebble Beach Pro-am in February.

A victory at April’s Masters will be a ominous sign of intent for him as his annual quest to complete the career Grand Slam continues in Augusta in four weeks. He has never won twice on tour before that.

There was a sense of inevitability in his ability to win more than one Players Championship, especially when he birdied the 12th hole eight minutes after taking the course.

McIlroy’s vulnerability in the biggest tournaments is still palpable, though.

Failure to convert a birdie on the par-five 16th hole after missing from five feet for birdie at the 15th cost him victory here, though not as expensive or shocking as his previous short-putt misses down the stretch that caused him to lose the US Open title.

Spaun, who has only won once on the PGA Tour, almost won the trophy at the end of the third hole.

In an effort to avoid the anticipated storms, organizers had moved the final round to an earlier start, with players splitting up into groups of three and two-tee starts.

However, they were unable to outrun the lightning, which had only a few holes to the back nine and led the groups that had already advanced earlier than expected.

Players and fans were unsure whether action would come back after the course was evacuated and play was suspended for four hours.

Thankfully, the weather cooperated, and fans received a compelling, if not champion, finish.

American Hoge carded a six-under-par 66 to finish in a tie for third behind McIlroy and Spaun.

The 35-year-old’s 10 under par score set the clubhouse goal, which was shared by fellow American Bhatia, who was the youngest player to hold the 36-hole lead at The Players at age 23.

Scot Bob MacIntyre finished in contention for seventh place in the British bookies at eight under par after a 69.