After three days of massive delays and a fourth jam-packed with golf, the Players Championship leaderboard is finally taking shape.
Round 3 at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course was completed at 10:50 a.m. local on Monday morning, finally putting everyone on the same 54-hole pace.
Anirban Lahiri is out in front at nine under. Thanks to a five-under 31 on the front, he led through 11 holes at nine under when play was suspended due to darkness on Sunday. When he returned on Monday he went bogey-birdie on 15 and 16 en route to playing the final seven in ever par to sign for a five-under 67 in Round 3.
Why did golf’s superstars disappear at the Players Championship?
Fourth-round tee times begin around 11 a.m. ET on Monday, with players going off in threesomes from both tees. The final group is expected to tee off around 1 p.m. The plan is to have enough daylight to finish 72 holes and allow time for a three-hole aggregate playoff, if necessary. Otherwise the tournament will be completed on Tuesday.
Chasing Lahiri is a group of four players just one back at eight under: Sebastian Munoz, Doug Ghim, Paul Casey and Sam Burns.
Munoz’s 65 tied for the lowest Round 3 score of the tournament. Ghim was three back after 54 holes and in the penultimate pairing at last year’s Players but shot 78 and tied for 29th. Casey joined the group at eight under when he rolled in a 34-foot birdie putt on the island-green 17th. Burns held the 54-hole co-lead and had to two-putt from 74 feet on the 18th on Monday morning to stay within one.
Cameron Smith and Tom Hoge are tied at seven under, and seven players — including Shane Lowry, Kevin Kisner, Louis Oosthuizen and Will Zalatoris — are all at six under.
What’s at stake? Just the largest winner’s payout in PGA Tour history: $3.6 million.
You can check complete scores here, and follow the final round here.