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Rory McIlroy four off lead at Players with early finish on cards due to weather

American JJ Spaun leads the way on 12 under at TPC Sawgrass

Rory McIlroy plays a shot from a bunker on the sixth hole during the third round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy plays a shot from a bunker on the sixth hole during the third round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Sun Mar 16 2025 - 12:33

Rory McIlroy remains in contention at the Players Championship despite a disappointing one-over 73 in his third round that left him four shots behind playing partner JJ Spaun as he led the American charge at TPC Sawgrass after a third-round 70 put him one stroke ahead of compatriot Bud Cauley.

World number 57 Spaun, joint-leader after shooting a six-under 66 in Thursday’s opening round, followed up Friday’s 68 with five birdies and three bogeys on Saturday to hold a slender advantage heading into the final day.

The 34-year-old Californian saved par on the final hole to stay ahead, sinking a 24-foot putt after a wayward second shot had left him in trouble to reach 12 under.

Cauley’s six-under-par 66, which included an eagle at the par-five ninth, seven birdies and three bogeys, catapulted him up 14 places into second at 11 under, two shots ahead of fellow Americans Lucas Glover and Alex Smalley.

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Glover, who finished one under for the day, is tied in third place with Smalley, while another American, Akshay Bhatia, appeared on course to join them on nine under before he bogeyed the last to slip two places.

McIlroy is tied with Bhatia in fifth place at eight under. The world number two, who shot a 67 and 68 in the first two rounds, was one under for the day after 11 holes but bogeyed three of the last seven holes before birdieing the last.

“I feel like I played better than I scored,” said McIlroy. “All the bogeys I made were really soft. I just need to chip and putt better tomorrow.

“Not out of it by any means. The wind is supposed to still be blowing tomorrow, so it was nice to make a birdie on 18 just to get one closer to JJ.

“I just made a few too many mistakes around the greens and on the greens. If I can tidy that up tomorrow, I feel like I’ll have a really good chance.”

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is seven shots off the lead, tied in 16th place at five under par after carding a 72, alongside five other players, including Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who also finished level-par for the round.

Shane Lowry made a double-bogey six on the 18th to card a two-over 74 that leaves him on one over for the tournament.

The final round has been moved to an earlier start, with groups of three starting from the first and 10th tees, because of bad weather which is forecast to bring storms and heavy winds later in the day.

It means McIlroy will play in the second last group off the first at 1.50pm Irish time alongside Smalley and Corey Connors.

The leading group of Spaun, Cauley and Glover go off at 2.01pm Irish time.