The China Mail - McIlroy grabs lead as storm halts final round at Players

McIlroy, who began the day four strokes adrift, made three birdies, an eagle and a bogey through the first 11 holes to stand on 12-under at TPC Sawgrass.

That was good enough for a one-stroke edge over 54-hole leader J.J. Spaun with Americans Tom Hoge, Akshay Bhatia and Danny Walker sharing third on 10-under.

Second-ranked McIlroy, a four-time major winner seeking his 28th career PGA Tour title, won the 2019 Players crown and captured his most recent title last month at Pebble Beach.

If he can pull it off, it would be the 35-year-old from Northern Ireland's best final-round comeback to win since rallying from six back to take the 2022 Tour Championship.

Spaun, a 34-year-old American, won his only PGA title at the 2022 Texas Open but was a runner-up two weeks ago at the PGA Cognizant Classic.

Walker, in only his seventh PGA start, made the field when Jason Day withdrew Thursday.

Hoge birdied five of the first 10 holes and answered a bogey at the par-5 11th with a six-foot birdie putt at the par-3 13th and a five-foot birdie putt at the par-5 16th.

Bhatia, 23, seeks his third career PGA title after winning the 2023 Barracuda Championship and 2024 Texas Open.

McIlroy and Spaun shared the lead on the back nine as heavy rain began but McIlroy grabbed the solo top spot with a 13-foot birdie putt at the par-5 11th just before lightning forced a suspension.

McIlroy was in the 12th fairway and Spaun in a greenside bunker at 11 when the horn sounded to leave the course.

- McIlroy hot early -

A stormy forecast forced an early morning start in threesomes with McIlroy and Bhatia making early charges from four strokes adrift of Spaun.

McIlroy sank a birdie putt from just outside eight feet at the first hole and made a 10-foot eagle putt at the par-5 second to pull within a stroke.

Bhatia birdied the first and fourth holes from just inside 12 feet and sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the second to join McIlroy one back.

Spaun made bogey at the fifth but McIlroy found a greenside bunker at seven and made bogey and Bhatia found a greenside bunker at the par-3 eighth and made bogey to leave Spaun back in front.

McIlroy, however, birdied the eighth from just inside 15 feet and when Spaun made bogey at the eighth, McIlroy had the lead.

Bhatia sank a 16-foot birdie putt at the par-5 ninth but made bogey at 10 while Spaun sank a birdie putt from just beyond six feet at nine to share the lead at the turn.

Keegan Bradley, the US captain for September's Ryder Cup, aced the par-3 13th hole.

C.Smith--ThChM