Spaun leads The Players as McIlroy clings on

Third-round leaderboard of The Players Championship

class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″>-12 class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> JJ class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Spaun class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″>-11 class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> B class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Cauley class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> e5tfeyi3″>-9 class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> L class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Glover class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> A class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Smalley class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> -8 class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> R class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> McIlroy class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (NI), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> C class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Conners class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (Can), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> A class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Bhatia class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> -7 class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> S class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Straka class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (Aut), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> P class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Cantlay class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> J class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> Knapp class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US), class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> M class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> McGreevy class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″> (US)

Other notables: -5 S Scheffler (US), -4 T Fleetwood (Eng), and -4 R MacIntyre (Sco).

In blustery conditions during round three of The Players Championship, Rory McIlroy lost four shots off the lead after a punishing back nine.

The 2019 champion carded a one-over 73 to take JJ Spaun, an unheralded American, one-under, one-shot ahead of tour veteran Bud Cauley.

At Sawgrass’ renowned Stadium Course, McIlroy was at 10 under after nine holes, but he struggled on the second nine, dropping shots on the 12th, 13th, and 17th holes and missing a par-five 16th for a presentable birdie chance.

However, he birdied the final birdie to avoid the 18th green, which attracted obscene fans’ roars.

McIlroy remarked, “It seemed like I played better than I scored.” “I left a lot out there, but I’m not too far away either.”

Spaun did a remarkable par putt on the final hole when he appeared to be faltering after bogeying the 17th, which he did throughout his round.

Seven players were once within a one-shot of winning, but the gusting winds made it difficult to score.

With a six-under-par 66 to reach 11 under, Cauley was one of the few to make a significant upward turn.

Lucas Glover, the 2009 US Open champion, chipped in three times during a 71-round rollercoaster, two shots ahead of him. His final chip-in was for an eagle on the par-five 16th, but his final score was sandwiched between double bogeys on the 15th and 17th, both of which had found water off the tee on the notoriously challenging “island hole.”

On eight under, overnight joint leader Akshay Bhatia and McIlroy are both putting in a strong two-over 74, keeping him in contention going into Sunday. After scoring a 66 much earlier in the day, Canada’s Corey Conners is also listed on that list.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was uncharacteristically irritable as he rounded off his round of 72 at five under. After making a three-putt bogey on the 17th, he threw his ball into the water, and he furiously chucked his golf club after making a third error.

Scheffler will need a remarkable round to win the TPC Sawgrass for the third consecutive time because play has already been moved forward on Sunday to avoid forecast storms.

The later starters were hampered by the strengthening winds around TPC Sawgrass after the first two days of pleasant weather.

However, it was obvious that Spaun had control and resilience in the chaos, particularly when he played alongside McIlroy. He had a slight lead early on, which he shared with others at times but never relinquished, thanks to accidents on the second and third holes.

He nearly grabbed a 40-foot eagle at the ninth hole and avoided a testy back nine with just two blemishes at the 15th and 17th holes before rolling in his lengthy par putt on the final to maintain the lead.

Three years ago, the Californian won the only tournament on the PGA Tour, finishing in a tie for third at the Sony Open, which gave him a one-shot lead going into Sunday.

McIlroy struggled throughout, hitting only five fairways from the tee, and his short game deserted him, leaving chips short and failing to drop par putts. Since 2013, he has been 56 under par for the back nine at TPC Sawgrass.

He was not at ease.

Overnight leader Min Woo Lee was the first to fall, but his errant fifth-round bogey resulted in a double bogey and he never recovered, shooting a six-over 78.

Collin Morikawa, a two-time major champion, shot another high in a pricey round of 76, leaving him eight shots back and likely out of contention.

Will Zalatoris, a fellow American, performed superb on the front nine, held onto a lead for a while before completely unraveling on the way home and falling from 11 under par to two under.

Bob MacIntyre of Scotland is at five under par after a 72, while Tommy Fleetwood of England, who had looked strong through the first 13 holes, dropped four shots over his final five to finish at four under par.