The Players Championship Leaderboard: Rory McIlroy Ahead As Play Suspended

WHAT IS THE PLAYOFF FORMAT?

The leaderboard is so bunched at the moment, there is every chance we will see just the sixth-ever playoff in Players Championship history this year. The last time was in 2015 when Rickie Fowler defeated Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner.

But what is the Players Championship format? In short, it’s a three-hole aggregate competition which takes place across the Stadium Course’s three signature holes – 16, 17 and 18. Lowest three-hole score at the end wins.

If it’s still tied, we go back to 17 and there’s a sudden death competition which cycles between the final three holes. As someone who is nowhere near taking part in The Players, I desperately want to see that. But I sincerely doubt the pros involved will feel the same…

SIGNATURE HOLES WAIT PATIENTLY

There remains hope that we will see McIlroy, Spaun and Bhatia et al playing along the attached view this evening before the sun sets (although it will be close).

PLAY TO RESTART TONIGHT

Ding ding ding, we have a restart time! The PGA Tour has said that practice facilities are back open and play will resume in around 45 minutes’ time – at 5:15pm ET.

UPDATE MOVED TO 4:30pm

We were supposed to receive an update at 4pm local time, but that has been pushed back to 4.30pm due to electricity still being in the area.

To finish today, we will need around 2.5 hours of daylight, which means a start time of no later than 5-5:30pm ET.

MONDAY FINISH?

We have around four hours of sunshine left in Florida and, with around two hours of golf left to be played, we remain hopeful the conclusion of The Players Championship will take place this evening.

For those wondering, the last Monday finish we had at TPC Sawgrass came back in 2022, where Cameron Smith carded a final round 66 to win by a single shot. In total, there have been eight Monday finishes at The Players Championship.

WEATHER UPDATE

We’ve just been informed that there will be an update from TPC Sawgrass at 4pm local time (ET), with play, reportedly, expected to get back underway this afternoon.

STATE OF PLAY UPDATE

According to The Players’ official account on X, “play is expected to resume later this afternoon.” That’s the good news.

Bad news is, we don’t know when that might be at this point. We’ll keep you posted.

DRAMA TO COME ON 17

We’re some way off reaching that point, but this is the pin position the leaders will be faced with when they reach the iconic 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course. Earlier in the day, a fair few golf balls skipped off the back into the water while several more settled in that low area down in the bottom left. Sungjae Im made a seven there after watching his ball fly off the back from the tee and then doing the same thing with his first drop.

Who will be brave enough to go right at it later? Who might need to? Hopefully, we will find out in the next few hours rather than tomorrow morning…

LIKE A NERVOUS PARENT

When we do get back underway, Justin Thomas will be pulling hard for former roommate, Bud Cauley.

The pair lived together in Jupiter, Florida for several years after Thomas turned pro in 2014 and the two-time Major winner calls Cauley one of his best friends.

Speaking after his final round 73, which leaves him in a tie for 35th, Thomas said: “Yeah, I would do some really, really weird things for Bud to win today. (Laughing). Yeah, I probably wanted it too bad.

“I was telling Jill (Thomas’ wife) last night, I was like a nervous parent. I just want him to play well so bad, because I know how bad he wants it. And it’s a huge stage, it’s a big, big moment. There’s a lot of golf left, he hasn’t gotten off to the start he’s wanted, I’m sure, but he’s right there.”

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR

While we’ve got a break, let me give you a quick recap of what we’ve seen so far today.

Firstly, McIlroy and Bhatia came out all guns blazing with the Northern Irishman three under through the first two holes via an opening birdie and a subsequent eagle. Bhatia also raced to three-under for the day, but it took him four holes courtesy of three separate birdies.

Meanwhile, JJ Spaun scrambled well early on before his luck ran out on the fifth and he dropped his first shot. One-over became two on the par-3 eighth before Spaun snatched one back on the ninth.

Elsewhere, Tom Hoge has been rocketing through the pack thanks to a six-under round on Sunday. The interruption is frustrating for all concerned, I’m sure, but even more so for Hoge who was in position A1 down the 18th fairway and looking to set the clubhouse target at 11-under.

Arguably the story of the week, Bradenton-born Danny Walker was not in the field at 7am on Thursday. On Friday, he made the cut by one stroke. With a handful of holes remaining on Sunday, the man who now lives in Jacksonville is right in contention on 10-under – two shots back of McIlroy. What a story that would be if he were to somehow win this.

Speaking of potentially awesome stories, Bud Cauley is playing on a major medical exemption and needs to finish inside the top-18 to secure his playing rights for the rest of this season. Should he end with a check for over $1.25 million (top-5), then he would be locked up for 2026 as well.

He’s currently sixth on his own – two-over for the day – following three bogeys and a lone birdie on the front nine. Importantly for both Cauley and Walker, they still have enough time to seal their destiny.

PLAY SUSPENDED

We’ve just had the horn sound out on course and play is suspended for the time being due to the threat of lightning in the area.

The rain is really coming down heavily at TPC Sawgrass now. I will keep you posted as and when we receive an update.

SPAUN AND BHATIA GOING COLD

Bhatia isn’t given the luck he deserved on the 12th and is forced to walk off with a par after dribbling one down the slope, just to the right of target.

The 12th is playing just 363 yards today, so all McIlroy needs to do is fire a long iron along the ground and wedge it in. He does the first part perfectly – centre cut.

Back on the 11th, Spaun faded his second shot into the vast bunker down the right and is facing a really difficult up and down now. Bhatia and Spaun have just slightly gone off the boil over the past few holes. Even with that gain for Spaun, it hasn’t looked particularly easy for the American.

RORY CLIMBS BACK TO THE TOP

McIlroy pours one in at the 11th to reach 12-under for the week. He’s four-under today and doing everything he can to claim that second career Players Championship.

RUMBLES IN THE AIR

According to those on the ground in Florida, the thunderstorms appear to be in close proximity and the players might not be out there for much longer.

For the time being, McIlroy is on board at the 11th with a mid-range birdie putt to come. His second shot was left of the green and required a pitch-and-check shot. But with the greasy surfaces in play now, it didn’t really check.

Ahead, Bhatia is really unlucky not to see his wedge shot zip back down the slope. It stays at the top. That’s brutal.

CHASING PACK CLOSING IN

Tom Hoge is having a day on six-under through 16 holes, and he’s on board at the 17th. Hoge is joined on 10-under – one stroke back – by Danny Walker thanks to a brilliant and confident birdie putt from the edge of the 11th green. Walker looks like he is loving this.

SPAUN IN PRIME POSITION

Golf is easy, apparently. Even with $4.5 million on the line. Spaun thumps his driver down the centre of the 10th before flicking a wedge to six feet from 150 yards or so. A birdie putt coming up, Spaun can return to -12 and take the outright lead in a matter of minutes.

Up ahead, McIlroy crashes his driver 301 yards (carry) before it thumps into the perfectly-manicured turf and goes nowhere. All the 2019 champion can do is put the pressure on from here on out.

FINAL GROUP OFF THE MARK

Having reached the ninth hole without a birdie or better, Bud Cauley is the man to snap that streak via a long-range putt from the back of the green. Moments later, Spaun follows him in and returns to 11-under as a result.

McIlroy – who pars the 10th – and Spaun co-lead now as local man, Danny Walker reaches nine-under. A reminder, in case you hadn’t seen, Walker wasn’t even in the field until about 7am on Thursday morning…

BHATIA STUMBLES ON 10

The left-handed co-leader attempts a really strange wedge shot into the 10th and shoves it into the rough short and left. From there, he can only push it out to 15 feet past the flag. The par attempt was woefully under-hit, but thankfully Bhatia can tidy up for par from four feet.

TWO TIED WITH NINE TO PLAY

McIlroy’s chip was stunned into the bank before skipping out to 12 feet. He was nice and positive with the stroke, but it was just a shade off line to the left and McIlroy must settle for par.

In the group behind, Spaun thumped a long iron into the rough short and right of the green from 276 yards. When the ball hit the ground, it did not re-appear for long, so this could be a nasty one for the overnight leader who now trails by one.

POWER BALL

With 299 yards to the flag on nine, McIlroy cracks a 5-wood to about hole high. The ball bounces out the back and lands in a collection area, but it’s not the toughest chip coming back. Should he get up and down, McIlroy might well hold the outright lead with just nine holes to play…

MCILROY JOINED BY BHATIA AT THE TOP

Spaun gives it a great chance, but the ball just tails away short of the hole and leaves him with a bogey.

Meanwhile, Bhatia – who has been sublime with the putter so far today – grabs his fifth birdie of the day at nine. McIlroy and Bhatia are neck and neck once more.

SPAUN SCRAMBLING

A hole that McIlroy has just birdied looks as though it is going to present Spaun with a bogey. His tee shot on the par-3 sailed into the right rough, and the recovery shot is still some 15 feet away. If Spaun is going to win the Players and not allow McIlroy to run away with it, the American is really going to need to make this putt.

WHAT A RESPONSE

McIlroy puts that disappointing bogey behind him quickly via a little bit of luck and a superb putt on the par-3 eighth. His tee shot bounced off the back of a green-side bunker and rolled out to 15 feet. From there, McIlroy rolled in a perfectly-judged putt down the hill which found the right edge of the hole. Spaun has company at the top once again.

SPAUN BACK IN FRONT

McIlroy jabs his ball down the slope to the hole’s edge and escapes with a decent bogey in the end. A hole behind, Spaun continues his tidy day with another safe par. That par may prove crucial in the end, but it has certainly changed things for the time being anyway.

On the par-3 eighth hole, Bhatia finds the sand on the left edge of the green. From there, he was far too aggressive with his bunker shot and pays the price via a two-putt bogey. Ultimately, it’s as you were at the start of Sunday and Spaun is back in front by one.

TROUBLE CHASING RORY

After avoiding a bogey last time out, it seems like trouble is going to catch up with the 35-year-old at the seventh. A prime drive down the middle found the edge of a sanded divot, and McIlroy’s next shot curved gently left into a greenside bunker. But with the ball below his feet and nothing to work with in terms of putting surface, McIlroy caught his ball too thin and watched it skip into the rough on the far side. Par from here would feel significant.

Elsewhere, Collin Morikawa is back to eight-under for the tournament after making three at the par-4 12th. He’s got the friendly par-3 13th to come.

MCILROY AVOIDS TROUBLE

After that poor tee shot, McIlroy drills a stinger up to the edge of the green to give himself an outside look at birdie. The 2019 Players champion can’t make it, though, despite a strong run at the hole and he’ll have to make do with par.

Just in front, Bhatia has given himself another good look at birdie on the seventh. But no. Bhatia pulls the putt and it barely stays above ground. He tapped down at the ground in a frustrated manner afterwards, but it really didn’t look like the fault of the green from the TV broadcast…

THREE-WAY TIE AT THE TOP

J.J. Spaun’s luck with the putter runs out at the par-4 fifth. The overnight leader gave himself a really tough birdie opportunity and couldn’t leave a tap-in par over an awkward knuckle on the left side. Spaun’s par attempt drifted just right of the hole and means he’s now in a three-way tie at the top.

KEEGAN BRADLEY ACE

A little way ahead, Keegan Bradley makes an ace at the par-3 13th! Team USA’s Ryder Cup captain shows his players exactly how to do it by landing his tee shot hole high and watching it spin back to the left before dropping in. What a moment!

RAIN HAS STARTED

As McIlroy reaches the sixth – the hole with the overhanging tree – the rain begins to fall. This wasn’t due to arrive until much later in the day. Hopefully, it doesn’t last too long.

Returning to the golf, the Northern Irishman makes a mess of his tee shot under the branch, pushing an iron right into the trees and pine needles from which said tree originally sat.

SPAUN HANGING ON

The leader isn’t playing lights out, but he’s doing enough so far. His putting has been pretty nifty to this point. Faced with a short par save at the fourth, Spaun sent his putt right at the left edge of the hole and saw it just drop in after going on a tour of the hole’s back edge.

A hole in front and dealing with an awkward stance, McIlroy plays a brilliant wedge shot out of the rough and onto the green. The birdie putt was 15 feet or more and down the hill, so the result wasn’t too bad in the end, coming up just short and to the left. This part of the course is about surviving rather than thriving, and McIlroy is comfortably making his way through it so far.

TESTING STRETCH

Bhatia almost adds a fourth birdie through the first five holes, but his attempt comes up inches short on the par-4 fifth. Back on the tee, McIlroy fires his drive towards one of the bunkers protecting the fairway from the water. This is a tough stretch of holes coming up, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some of the leaders slip up somewhat.

At the par-4 fourth, Cauley’s drive went about 190 yards and ended in the very last few blades of rough before the water, so he was forced to wedge back out on the fairway. Nevertheless, a superb third has left the American with a chance of escaping with a par.

Cauley comes up out of his stance on the par putt right away, though. He pulled it left off the blade and that will be a bogey. He’s going backwards so quickly.

BHATIA ON THE CHARGE

Bhatia makes yet another excellent putt to add another birdie onto his scorecard. The left-hander is three-under through four holes and bubbling away nicely.

Just behind on the same par-4 fourth, McIlroy finds himself out of position in the left rough but recovers nicely enough. He’ll try to get up and down from a small collection area just off the green.

Meanwhile, Spaun is scrambling well to start but isn’t finding many birdie chances. In the same group, Cauley – who needs a top-5 to retain his playing rights in the long term – drops a shot after getting too greedy with his long-range birdie chance.

HOMETOWN KID PUTTING ON A SHOW

Away from the leaders, although not miles away, Danny Walker makes a brilliant bogey at the par-4 fourth to drop back to seven-under (T10th) after dunking his first approach in the water.

Walker, who lives in Jacksonville after moving from his hometown of Bradenton, was the final man in the field on Thursday morning after Jason Day pulled out due to illness and has made the most of his opportunity. After making the cut by one, Walker is now inside the top-10 and capable of having a say at TPC Sawgrass.

FIELD IS BUNCHING

Spaun bumps his way down the par-5 second but cannot land a birdie putt and walks off with his lead just one after McIlroy gained three strokes over the same stretch.

Bhatia and Patrick Cantlay are both two-under for the day and at -10 and -9, respectively to remain in touch.

Going in the opposite direction, Lucas Glover made a real mess of the second and walks away with a bogey. He’s back to eight-under now.

Up ahead, McIlroy misses the green at the 180-yard par-3 third but putts up to a couple of feet and tidies up easily. The leaders are now on the third, where the flag is tucked away on the very left edge. There are some brutal pin locations in play today.

MCILROY MAKES EAGLE

Here we go! McIlroy only had 12 feet or so down the hill at the par-5 second, but he confidently prodded it down towards the hole before watching the ball drop. The Northern Irishman is just one shot back now after going three-three through the first couple.

STEADY START FOR SPAUN

Spaun holds his nerve well to sink a tricky six-foot par save at the first. The American puffs his cheeks out as he walks away. He’s feeling it. Glover also makes par, so nothing doing for the final group at the first.

Up ahead, McIlroy chokes down on a long iron and rifles one into the second. That will be a very good chance for eagle.

BHATIA GOES BIRDIE-BIRDIE

The wiry left-hander is up to -10 after making gains at both of the first two holes. His most recent was from a good 15 to 20 feet on the par-5 second, but that broom-handle putter works wonders once more for Bhatia.

Stephan Jaeger joins Bhatia with a birdie of his own on the same hole. The German isn’t out of it, either.

FINAL GROUP UNDERWAY

Per the TV broadcast, the last nine players to lead by one stroke overnight at this event have failed to go on and win. Spaun makes the ideal start in changing that by finding the centre of the fairway on one, as does Glover.

Meanwhile, Cauley absolutely thumps a driver a considerable way down there, 340 yards. None of the three are particularly close with their approach shots, though, with Cauley going slightly long from 45 yards after watching Glover and Spaun’s shots spin back down the green.

MCILROY MAKES EARLY MOVE

The four-time Major winner starts as he means to go on, sinking his first chance at birdie via a gentle right-to-left effort. McIlroy is up to nine-under and now only three back. Smalley follows him in before Conners does well to escape with a par.

BIRDIE CHANCE FOR MCILROY

Conners recovers pretty well out of the pine straw, although he did have a good break via a clear view of the green. The Canadian fires a low one down the fairway and out to the back of the green.

Following up quickly, McIlroy shows his supreme skill by flicking his ball out of the rough and leaving himself an eight-to-10-foot birdie putt. Smalley does similar from the fairway but on the other side of the hole.

Elsewhere, Akshay Bhatia is up to T3rd thanks to a birdie on the first moments earlier.

PENULTIMATE TRIO UNDERWAY

Alex Smalley, Corey Conners and Rory McIlroy are in the second-to-last group off the first today – each hoping to chase down Spaun at the top by putting the pressure on one hole ahead. Smalley makes the best start as he finds the centre cut while Conners booms one right into the pine needles and McIlroy looks to have an awkward stance in the right-hand rough.

McIlroy’s one and only Players Championship title so far arrived in 2019. He could add to it today but will need to find more fairways than he has been doing so far this week.

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly’s coverage of The Players Championship final round at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course. With some bad weather expected later in the day, tee times have been moved up and bunched together in an attempt to try and finish this prestigious event today.

JJ Spaun begins shortly with a one-stroke lead over Bud Cauley and a handful more over the likes of Lucas Glover, Alex Smalley and Rory McIlroy as he looks for the biggest title of his fascinating career. If there is one positive for Spaun to lean on, it’s that his caddie Mark Carens has won this prize before with Si Woo Kim, so he will have the perfect assistant.

Collin Morikawa is the early mover so far – he’s three-under through five holes and into the top-10. Otherwise, most of the earlier starters have remained at around level par. The biggest faller so far has been Jordan Spieth. The three-time Major winner is five-over through seven holes and going in the wrong direction quickly.

Stay with us for the next several hours as we bring you all of the key action from The Players Championship as it happens. Thanks for tuning in!