Players Championship: J.J. Spaun stars but Scottie Scheffler stifled as organizers race to finish tournament before storms

American golfer J.J. Spaun signed off with a spectacular long-range putt to take a one shot lead into what will be an uncustomary early final round of The Players Championship, as the threat of severe storms led tournament organizers in Florida to push Sunday’s start time forward.

American golfer J.J. Spaun signed off with a spectacular long-range putt to take a one shot lead into what will be an uncustomary early final round of The Players Championship, as the threat of severe storms led tournament organizers in Florida to push Sunday’s start time forward. As heavy winds buffeted the field at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday, knocking back an exasperated Scottie Scheffler’s hopes of a historic three-peat, world No. 57 Spaun carded an impressive third round two-under 70 to edge closer to what would be the biggest win of his career at the PGA Tour’s flagship event. The 34-year-old will tee off for his final round alongside compatriot Bud Cauley, one stroke behind after a blistering 66, and Lucas Glover at the earlier start time of 10:01 a.m. ET (2 p.m. GMT) due to the forecast of inclement weather in Ponte Vedra Beach on Sunday afternoon. Violent tornadoes have raked across the Midwest and South of the US as part of a major storm since Friday that has left at least 31 dead. A significant cold front is expected to reach Northeast Florida on Sunday afternoon, the PGA Tour said in a statement Saturday, adding that storms are forecasted to arrive between 3 and 5 p.m. ET. With the first players scheduled to head out at 8 a.m, groups will play in threesomes and from both the 1st and 10th tees. Traditionally, the final round would see golfers compete in groups of two and all begin from the 1st hole at a later time. For example, last year saw the first and last pairings tee off at 11:35 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. respectively. The format has been adjusted in a bid to avoid a Monday finish, said the PGA Tour. The last time that occurred at the event was in 2022, when severe weather delays left all 71 players in the field still needing to finish their third rounds on Monday morning.