McIlroy forced into Monday play-off after losing late lead at Players

Rory McIlroy will face JJ Spaun in a Monday play-off at The Players after the Northern Irishman let a three-shot lead slip over the closing holes of a marathon Sunday.

McIlroy went into the final round four strokes behind Spaun but charged into contention with a birdie-eagle start at TPC Sawgrass, then found himself tied for the lead after reaching the turn in 33.

The world No 2 moved to the top of the leaderboard shortly before a four-hour weather delay, due to the threat of lightning, with McIlroy then birdieing his first hole after the restart – the 12th – to move three ahead with six holes to play.

McIlroy bogeyed his next hole and missed chances along the closing stretch, seeing him post a four-under 68, as Spaun birdied two of his last five holes to join the Northern Irishman on 12-under 276.

The earlier delays meant there was not enough daylight left for the three-hole play-off, dragging the tournament into a fifth day, with the pair set to resume at 9am local time (1pm GMT) to decide the winner of the PGA Tour’s flagship event, with coverage live on Sky Sports.

Tom Hoge, Akshay Bhatia and Lucas Glover finished two strokes back in tied-third on 10 under, with Danny Walker a further shot back in a share of sixth alongside Corey Conners and Bud Cauley.

How McIlroy and Spaun got dragged into fifth day

The threat of thunderstorms had forced the PGA Tour to bring the tee times forward for the final round, with a two-tee start in operation and players going out in threeballs to try and get the tournament completed on schedule.

McIlroy made the dream start by following an eight-foot birdie at the first by draining a 10-foot eagle putt at the par-five second, following a stunning approach with a long-iron, to see his overnight deficit cut from four strokes to a single shot.

Spaun missed a good chance to birdie the second and lost his solo lead with a bogey at the fifth, dropping him level alongside Bhatia – who birdied three of his first four holes – and McIlroy on 11 under.

McIlroy failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker to save par at the seventh but responded with a 15-foot birdie at the par-three next, with the world No 2 reaching the turn tied for the lead despite failing to take advantage of the par-five ninth.

Spaun – in the final group – birdied the ninth to get to 11 under, as Bhatia fell behind after starting his back nine with a bogey, while McIlroy edged ahead after adding another birdie at the par-five 11th before play was halted.

McIlroy jumped three ahead with a 12-foot birdie once play resumed at 5.15pm local time (9.15pm GMT), following Spaun’s three-putt bogey from distance at the previous hole, only to give the chasing pack hope when an errant tee shot into trees at the 14th led to a bogey.

Spaun fired his approach at the same par-four to tap-in range and closed within one of McIlroy, who missed a six-foot birdie chance at the 15th and then spurned another opportunity to extend his advantage at the par-five 16th.

A sensational up and down from the rough by Spaun at the par-five 16th set up a tap-in birdie to pull level, as McIlroy two-putted the 17th before negotiating a tricky long-range two-putt at the last to set the clubhouse target.

Spaun saved par at the 17th and recovered from finding the pines off the final tee to leave himself a 30-foot putt for birdie, which finished agonisingly short of the hole, but left a kick-in par to close a level-par 71 and take the contest to extra holes.

McIlroy: I gave myself chances to win

McIlroy, the 2019 Players champion, speaking to Sky Sports: “It’s been a long day. I got off to a great start before play was halted. And once we got back out there, I made the perfect start again with a birdie at 12.

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“On the way in, I feel like I gave myself chances to close the door and win this golf tournament – and I didn’t quite do that. I’m going to have to do it the hard way, stay one more night and try to do it tomorrow.

“There’s not many multiple Players champions. Scottie [Scheffler] has won the last two years… and I’ve spoken a lot about how much I admire Scottie – it would be nice to get two like him, and two like Tiger [Woods]. But I have to put that out of my head, play three good holes in the morning and hopefully that’s enough.”

Who will win The Players? Watch the three-hole play-off between Rory McIlroy and JJ Spaun on Monday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.