Players Championship final day updates: Scores, news, insights from TPC Sawgrass

After four days of stop-and-start-and-stop-and-you-the-idea golf at TPC Sawgrass, the wet-and-wild 2022 Players Championship has rolled into Day 5. Mercifully, the forecast for Monday — sunny and in the 60s — looks ideal, meaning, yes, we will more than likely have a champion come Monday evening. But first, there is much golf to be played.

The first order of business Monday is to complete the third round, with some players still needing to play nine more holes. Immediately following the third round, the field will play the fourth round, remaining in threesomes and playing off both the 1st and 10th tees. When darkness ended play Sunday, Anirban Lahiri was leading at nine under. Two back were Tom Hoge and Harold Varner III. Three off the pace were Sebastian Munoz, Paul Casey and Sam Burns.

Follow along here for regular updates throughout the third and fourth rounds:  

Players Championship Leaderboard | How to watch the Players Championship Monday finish

Players Championship 2022 live blog: Updates, scores, highlights

All times ET. Refresh for updates.

6:25 p.m. ET: Anirban Lahiri’s approach comes up short and right of the green at 18. He hits an impressive chip, but it fails to drop for birdie. Cameron Smith is officially your 2022 Players Champion.

6:19 p.m. ET: And he makes it. Cameron Smith drains his short bogey putt at 18 to finish off a final-round 66. He ends the day at 13 under. Anirban Lahiri, who is currently sitting in the middle of the 18th fairway, needs a birdie to force a playoff. Otherwise, Smith takes home the title and the $3.6 million winner’s check.

6:16 p.m. ET: With the tournament on the line, Cameron Smith regrouped from his water ball, made his drop and hit a great fourth shot that settles a few feet from the hole. He’ll have that for bogey to finish at 13 under.

6:11 p.m. ET: Now things are getting interesting. Trying to punch out into the fairway after his poor drive at 18, Smith overcooks it and hits it all the way across the fairway into the water. Meanwhile, Anirban Lahiri drains his birdie putt at 17 to move to 12 under. This thing isn’t over yet.

6:06 p.m. ET: Playing behind Smith in the final group and trailing by three, Anirban Lahiri hits a great tee shot on 17 that drops and then spins toward the hole, leaving him a 13-footer for birdie to get one closer. Smith’s drive at 18 goes right and finds the pine straw amid some trees.

6:00 p.m. ET: Never a doubt. After his courageous tee shot, Smith rolled in the remaining four-footer for another birdie, moving him to 14 under and giving him a three-shot lead heading to the final hole. Paul Casey saved par to remain at 11 under.

5:53 p.m. ET: Despite holding a two-shot lead and only needing a par, and immediately after Sam Burns hit one into the water, Cameron Smith went right after the far right pin position at the 17th, sticking a clutch shot to just a few feet to set up a great look at birdie. Paul Casey safely landed his own tee shot in the middle of the green.

5:48 p.m. ET: Despite bad break after bad break, Casey drains a six-footer for par at 16 to remain at 11 under. Smith matches him with a short par make of his own to maintain his two-shot lead as they head to the island-green 17th hole.

5:43 p.m. ET: Paul Casey got a horrible break on 16 when his drive landed in a ball mark, making an attempt at the green impossible. Cameron Smith made another poor drive on the same hole, but after a solid punch out he reached the green in three on the par-5.

5:35 p.m. ET – Kevin Kisner rolls in his third consecutive birdie at the 17th to move to 10 under. Keegan Bradley, on the other hand, hits his second shot from the pine straw at 18 into the water, likely ending his chances.

5:27 p.m. ET: Keegan Bradley’s tee shot at 17 found dry ground but left him with a lengthy second putt. He was unable to get it down in two from there, settling for a bogey that drops him back to 11 under. Cameron Smith once again has a two-shot lead.

5:23 p.m. ET: If Cameron Smith stumbled, several players would have a great chance to win. But so far, Smith is refusing to back down. After another wayward drive and an approach that failed to reach the putting surface at 15, Smith put together another clutch up-and-down to save par, and his one-shot lead, once again. Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson holed out for eagle to finish off a course record-tying 63.

5:17 p.m. ET: Anirban Lahiri is hanging in there. He saved par at 14 with a terrific up-and-down to remain at 11 under. Meanwhile, leader Cameron Smith is in a little trouble at 15.

5:09 p.m. ET: We have a new player in solo second place. Keegan Bradley two-putted for birdie from downtown at the par-5 16th to move to 12 under, one shot behind Smith.

5:02 p.m. ET: Just when it looked like Cameron Smith would surrender a shot at 14 — thanks to a layup approach and a poor chip for his third shot — Smith leaned on his putter again, sinking a 14 footer for just his second par of the day to remain at 13 under, two shots clear of his chasers.

4:53 p.m. ET: The contenders are starting to make their way to the treacherous final few holes on the course. Tyrrell Hatton, fresh off a birdie at 16 to move to nine under, came up just short with his tee shot on the island-green 17th, and his ball joined the many others on the bottom of the lake.

4:45 p.m. ET: And the birdie train keeps on rolling for Cameron Smith. After a great tee shot to 12 feet on the par-3 13th, Smith drained the ensuing putt to move to 13 under. He currently holds a two-shot lead over Paul Casey, Keegan Bradley and Anirban Lahiri.

4:36 p.m. ET: Not to be outdone, Paul Casey rolled in a birdie of his own at 11 to make it a three-way tie for the lead. But it didn’t last long. After a nifty chip to a few feet, Cameron Smith sank a short putt at 12 for his third birdie in a row to move into the lead alone at 12 under.

4:30: p.m. ET: Shortly after Cameron Smith birdied the 11th to take the solo lead at 11 under, Anirban Lahiri rolled in a 15-footer for eagle at the same hole to match Smith for the lead.

4:23 p.m. ET: Play has slowed to a standstill. In part because of a drop disagreement between Joel Dahmen and Daniel Berger. This back nine is going to take quite a while.

4:07 p.m. ET: We have yet another leader. Paul Casey makes birdie on 11 to reach 10 under alongside Smith and Bradley. Are we headed for a playoff?

3:58 p.m. ET: Of course, torrential downpour has broken out because this event hasn’t seen enough rain. Keegan Bradley makes birdie to tie Smith at 10 under. Three others at nine under. A juicy ending headed our way.

3:50 p.m. ET: After surrendering the lead with three straight bogies, Cameron Smith tosses in a dart on no. 10 to regain the lead. Tap-in birdies are nice.

3:40 p.m. ET: Leaderboard look!

3:30 p.m. ET: Things are getting TIGHT. Keegan Bradley in birdie position on 11. Lahiri making bogey on 8. Cameron Smith makes bogey on 9. Berger bogies 13. Hovland now just one back.

3:22 p.m. ET: And another update on Lahiri.

3:17 p.m. ET: Here’s an update on Anirban Lahiri.

3:14 p.m. ET: After hitting his tee shot within 30 yards of the hole on the par-4 12th, Viktor Hovland pitched it through the green and nearly into the hazard. Then flopped onto the green and missed the par saver. Horrible dropped shot. Is now two back.

3:04 p.m. ET: Also in contention is Daniel Berger, eight under and three back, who is in the same group as Hovland. Feels like whichever of those guys posts the best score will be the score we talk about for the last hour of the broadcast.

2:54 p.m. ET: Viktor Hovland is charging! The Norwegian just made his fifth birdie of the day on 11 to reach nine under for the tournament. He’s a couple groups head of the leaders, so we could potentially see him post a score and wait in that lavish clubhouse. Just TWO back with Cam Smith making bogey on No. 7.

2:38 p.m. ET: Cam Smith, putting MACHINE. He cans another birdie putt, this time from 10 feet, to reach 12 under and take a two-shot lead. He is leading the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.

2:26 p.m. ET: At the moment, there are just over a handful of players within realistic striking distance of Smith at 11 under and Lahiri at 10 under: Kevin Kisner, Russell Knox and Paul Casey are three shots back, and Sepp Straka, Russell Henley, Viktor Hovland and Doug Ghim are four back at seven under.

2:18 p.m. ET: A birdie on No. 4 brings Anirban Lahiri to 10 under and one back.

2:11 p.m. ET: To give you an idea of the money at stake this week: If Henley finished the tournament in 35th place, he’d bank $109,000. For 5th? A whopping $820,000! Cue the head-exploding emoji.

2:05 p.m. ET: The putts are droppin’ today, folks! Cameron Smith is now four under through four today to lead the field by two shots. Meanwhile, Russell Henley has moved up 30 spots on the leaderboard since he teed off today. He’s five under through 11 holes, seven under overall, and four shots behind Smith.

1:51 p.m. ET: After making his third birdie in four holes, Rossell Knox is one shot back.

1:45 p.m. ET: A third-straight birdie from Cameron Smith gives him the outright lead at 10 under par.

1:37 p.m. ET: After draining another birdie putt on the second hole, Cameron Smith is now tied for the lead at nine under par.

1:29 p.m. ET: Russell Knox birdies the first two holes to get to eight under overall — one shot behind leader Anirban Lahiri, who parred the first to remain nine under.

1:22 p.m. ET: Cameron Smith is now one shot from the lead after draining a 38-foot a birdie on the first hole.

1:08 p.m. ET: The leaders are off! And we have a hot round alert: Canadian Taylor Pendrith is three under through seven holes today, bringing him to six under overall and three shots off the lead.

12:47 p.m. ET: After parring the first hole, Harold Varner III remains six under overall — three shots off the lead.

12:37 p.m. ET: We’re less than a half hour away from the leaders teeing off! Should be an exciting day. Already seeing some early moves: Abraham Ancer is now T14, five under overall, after making two birdies in his first six holes.

11:15 a.m. ET: We’ll get this live blog fired up again when the leaders get to the tee box.

11:10 a.m. ET: Final round tee times began at 11 a.m. ET. The final grouping of Anirban Lahiri, Sebastián Muñoz and Doug Ghim goes off at 1:01 p.m. Paul Casey, Sam Burns and Cameron Smith are at 12:50 p.m. Check out full tee times here.

10:58 a.m. ET: And, finally, we have 54 holes complete at TPC Sawgrass. Only took until late Monday morning! Anirban Lahiri leads at nine under, and one back at eight under are Sebastian Munoz, Doug Ghim, Paul Casey and Sam Burns. Others: 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.

10:39 a.m. ET: With the final group playing the 18th, it’s Lahiri leading at nine under, and four others (Sebastian Munoz, Doug Ghim, Paul Casey and Sam Burns) all tied at eight under. Burns has a chance on 18 to tie Lahiri. Final found tee times coming out soon!

10:25 a.m. ET: Anirban Lahiri leads alone. His third-round 67 featured seven birdies and just two bogeys as he looks to win on the PGA Tour for the first time. He will play in the final grouping this afternoon.

9:24 a.m. ET: Ace alert! Viktor Hovland cards a hole-in-one at the par-3 8th — his second eagle of the front nine — and now sits at four under for the championship.

9:15 a.m. ET: Louis Oosthuizen is lurking. Four back-nine birdies, including this nifty chip-in below, have vaulted him into the top 10 at Sawgrass.

8:52 a.m. ET: Sebastian Muñoz has posted at eight under and is the leader in the clubhouse. His third-round 65 is the round of the tournament thus far. He’s tied with Lahiri and Sam Burns, who still have some holes to complete in their third rounds.

8:03 a.m. ET: Play has officially restarted. The weather forecast looks promising for the rest of the day, and it should be a good one in Ponte Vedra. Let’s get after it.

7 a.m. ET: Happy Monday! We’ve got a rare Monday finish on the docket live from TPC Sawgrass. Golfers are getting set to resume their third rounds in about an hour and Anirban Lahiri is your current leader at nine under. Let’s have a day.