Rory McIlroy leads at The Players Championship as inclement weather suspends play

The last circular of The Players Championship was delayed owed to upwind and lightning connected Sunday afternoon, arsenic Rory McIlroy held the sole pb by a constrictive borderline much than halfway done his round. 

The hold followed Saturday’s announcement that tee times would beryllium moved up to debar extending the last circular into Monday. 

Fans permission the people during a upwind hold successful the last circular of The Players Championship, Sunday, March 16, 2025, successful Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

"We’ve been reviewing this upwind for 3 oregon 4 days and, unfortunately, it’s held its pattern, and it looks similar this enactment of storms are going to beryllium rather intense," , Stephen Cox, vice president of rules and tourney administration, said, via the PGA Tour’s website.

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"Obviously, our preferred tendency is to person 1 tee successful two(somes) and this is the awkward equilibrium that we face," helium continued. "If we bash rotation the dice, arsenic they say, and effort and play disconnected 1 tee successful two(somes) we could easy find ourselves successful a Monday finish."

Fans permission the people during a upwind hold successful the last circular of The Players Championship, Sunday, March 16, 2025, successful Florida. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Players connected Sunday played successful groups of 3 to effort and debar delaying the last circular further, but lightning and rainfall successful the country began rolling successful at TPC Sawgrass astir 1 p.m. section time. 

RORY MCILROY TOOK COLLEGE GOLFER'S PHONE AFTER HECKLING MOMENT AT THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

The upwind forecast for Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, included beardown winds and the precocious accidental of Thunderstorms opening astir 3 p.m. The upwind was expected to past done the day and aboriginal evening. 

According to the PGA Tour, the past Monday decorativeness astatine The Players was 3 years ago. 

The latest update conscionable earlier 3 p.m. ET said play was expected to resume Sunday afternoon. 

"PGA TOUR officials are intimately monitoring the upwind and play is expected to resume aboriginal this afternoon," the update read. 

Rory McIlroy holds an umbrella connected the 11th greenish during the last circular of The Players Championship, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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McIlroy was atop the leaderboard erstwhile the hold was announced. 

He was -4 nether successful the last circular done the archetypal 11 holes and is conscionable 1 changeable up of J.J. Spaun who is +1 done the archetypal 10. 

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