J.J. Spaun Leads The Players After Wild Windy Round

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J.J. Spaun Leads The Players After Wild Windy Round \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ J.J. Spaun endured fierce winds and a brutal Saturday at The Players Championship, sinking a dramatic 25-foot par putt on the final hole to secure a one-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round. With gusts up to 25 mph, many top contenders struggled, including Will Zalatoris, who collapsed with a 9-over final stretch, and Scottie Scheffler, who bogeyed two of his last three holes. Meanwhile, Bud Cauley surged late to position himself in the final group, and Rory McIlroy birdied the last hole to stay within striking distance. With more wind and rain expected on Sunday, the final round promises high drama at TPC Sawgrass.

The Players Championship: Quick Looks

J.J. Spaun leads at 12-under after surviving brutal wind conditions at TPC Sawgrass, posting a 2-under 70—the lowest score among the final 10 groups.
Bud Cauley sits one shot back at 11-under, finishing strong with three birdies in his last four holes to secure a final pairing spot.
Lucas Glover and Alex Smalley are three shots back, while Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, and Danny Walker lurk five behind.
Will Zalatoris collapsed down the stretch, playing his final five holes in 9-over par, including a quadruple bogey on 14 and a double bogey on 17, plummeting 10 shots behind.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler struggled late, bogeying two of his last three holes, leaving him seven shots back heading into Sunday.
Rory McIlroy kept his hopes alive, birdieing the final hole to finish at 8-under, just four back.
Danny Walker, a late tournament addition, shot 66 after barely making the cut, putting himself into contention for a life-changing payday.
The PGA Tour moved up Sunday tee times due to expected wind and rain, with players going off in threesomes from both the front and back nines.
With more tough conditions expected, the tournament remains wide open, with several players still in the hunt for the $4.5 million first-place prize.

Deep Look

In a day filled with whipping winds, unpredictable gusts, and shattered scorecards, J.J. Spaun stood firm, battling through the elements to emerge with a one-shot lead heading into the final round of The Players Championship.

As gusts reached 25 mph at TPC Sawgrass, the conditions wreaked havoc on the field, sending scores skyrocketing and shaking up the leaderboard. Spaun’s 2-under 70 was the lowest score among the final 10 groups, and his clutch 25-foot par-saving putt on 18 capped off a wild day in one of golf’s most unpredictable tournaments.

With more wind and rain expected for Sunday’s final round, the tournament remains wide open, with Bud Cauley, Lucas Glover, Rory McIlroy, and defending champion Scottie Scheffler still within reach of the $4.5 million first-place prize.

Chaos at TPC Sawgrass: How Spaun Took Control

For many of golf’s biggest names, Saturday was about survival—and even that proved difficult.

J.J. Spaun was one of the few to hold steady, posting a 2-under 70 to take the outright lead at 12-under 204.
Bud Cauley finished with a flurry of three birdies in his final four holes, shooting 66 to move into solo second at 11-under.
Lucas Glover and Alex Smalley lurk just three shots behind Spaun, while Patrick Cantlay, Danny Walker, and Rory McIlroy sit five shots back.

A Grueling Test: Surviving the Brutal Wind

Golfers are used to tough conditions at TPC Sawgrass, but Saturday’s swirling winds made club selection a nightmare.

Will Zalatoris learned that the hard way—he was tied for the lead when he stepped onto the 14th tee. An hour later, he had fallen 10 shots behind after a quadruple bogey, two doubles, and a bogey to finish with a 78.
Scottie Scheffler, the two-time defending champion, was in contention until the final three holes, when a bogey on 16, a three-putt bogey on 17, and another mistake on 18 left him seven shots behind.
Collin Morikawa had an even worse day, carding eight bogeys for a 77 and falling eight shots back.

“It’s pretty razor-thin around here anyway,” Glover said. “And then you add in 25, 30 miles an hour with some gusts, it shrinks things even more. I did a good job where I was missing for the majority of the day, but there were a couple holes where you just can’t miss.”

Rory McIlroy Hangs On While Others Collapse

Unlike Zalatoris and Scheffler, Rory McIlroy managed to keep his tournament hopes alive.

Despite making costly mistakes around the greens, McIlroy finished with a 1-over 73, leaving him just four shots back.
A crucial birdie on 18 gave him momentum heading into Sunday.

“Most of the dropped shots were from around-the-green mistakes rather than tee-to-green,” McIlroy said. “I felt like I hit the ball pretty well, controlled my flight. Not out of it by any means.”

Scottie Scheffler’s Frustrating Finish: Is the Comeback Still Possible?

A year ago, Scottie Scheffler finished Saturday seven shots behind before storming back with a final-round 64 to win. But this year’s situation feels different.

Scheffler was poised to close the gap late in his round but instead fell further back with two bogeys in his last three holes.
He struggled with distance control, most notably on the par-5 16th, where he went from pine straw to two separate bunkers before settling for bogey.
On 17, he three-putted from long range before angrily tossing his ball into the water.

When asked if he still believed he had a chance, Scheffler kept his answer short.

“I’m not really thinking about it too much right now,” he said. “I’m just a bit frustrated with the finish but hoping to come out of the gates a little better tomorrow.”

Dark Horse Story: Danny Walker’s Unexpected Run

While many of golf’s biggest names faltered, Danny Walker quietly posted the round of the day, firing a 6-under 66 to jump back into contention.

Walker wasn’t even supposed to be in this tournament—he got in only after Jason Day withdrew on Thursday.
On Friday, he barely made the cut, sneaking in at 1-under.
On Saturday, he took advantage of early tee times before the wind intensified, making eight birdies and climbing to 7-under overall.

Now, he enters Sunday just five shots back, with a potential life-changing payday within reach.

Final Round Forecast: More Wind, More Chaos?

With rain and wind once again in the forecast, tournament officials moved up tee times, sending players off in threesomes from both the front and back nines.

J.J. Spaun and Bud Cauley will tee off in the final group, with Lucas Glover and Alex Smalley in the penultimate pairing.
McIlroy, Cantlay, and Walker are in the third-to-last group, looking to make a charge early.