Rory McIlroy will face JJ Spaun in a Monday play-off at The Gamers after the Northern Irishman let a three-shot lead slip over the closing holes of a marathon Sunday.
McIlroy went into the ultimate spherical 4 strokes behind Spaun however charged into rivalry with a birdie-eagle begin at TPC Sawgrass, then discovered himself tied for the lead after reaching the flip in 33.
The world No 2 moved to the highest of the leaderboard shortly earlier than a four-hour climate delay, as a result of risk of lightning, with McIlroy then birdieing his first gap after the restart – the twelfth – to maneuver three forward with six holes to play.
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McIlroy got here from 4 again right into a tie for the lead after an exhilarating ultimate spherical at The Gamers
McIlroy bogeyed his subsequent gap and missed possibilities alongside the closing stretch, seeing him submit a four-under 68, as Spaun birdied two of his final 5 holes to affix the Northern Irishman on 12-under 276.
Earlier delays meant there was not sufficient daylight left for the three-hole play-off, dragging the match right into a fifth day, with the pair set to renew at 9am native time (1pm GMT) – stay on Sky Sports activities – to determine the winner of the PGA Tour’s flagship occasion.
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Tom Hoge, Akshay Bhatia and Lucas Glover completed two strokes again in tied-third on 10 beneath, with Danny Walker an additional shot again in a share of sixth alongside Corey Conners and Bud Cauley.
How McIlroy and Spaun bought dragged into fifth day
The specter of thunderstorms pressured the PGA Tour to carry tee instances ahead for the ultimate spherical, with a two-tee begin in operation and gamers going out in threeballs to attempt to get the match accomplished on schedule.
McIlroy made the dream begin by discovering an eight-foot birdie on the first and draining a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-five second, following a shocking strategy with a long-iron, slicing his in a single day deficit lower from 4 strokes to a single shot.
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McIlroy made the dream begin to his ultimate spherical at The Gamers, birdieing the primary and eagling the par-five second to leap inside one of many lead
Spaun missed an opportunity to birdie the second and misplaced his solo lead with a bogey on the fifth, dropping him degree alongside Bhatia – who birdied three of his first 4 holes – and McIlroy on 11 beneath.
McIlroy did not stand up and down from a greenside bunker to avoid wasting par on the seventh however responded with a 15-foot birdie on the par-three subsequent, with the four-time main champion reaching the flip tied for the lead regardless of failing to benefit from the par-five ninth.
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McIlroy was enjoying alongside Corey Conners and Alex Smalley within the penultimate group
Spaun – within the ultimate group – birdied the ninth to get to 11 beneath, as Bhatia fell behind after beginning his again 9 with a bogey, whereas McIlroy edged forward after including one other birdie on the par-five eleventh earlier than play was halted.
McIlroy jumped three forward with a 12-foot birdie as soon as play resumed at 5.15pm native time (9.15pm GMT), following Spaun’s three-putt bogey from distance on the earlier gap, solely to provide the chasing pack hope when an errant tee shot into bushes on the 14th led to a bogey.
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McIlroy is seeking to declare his second PGA Tour victory of the season, having gained the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am
Spaun fired his strategy on the identical par-four to tap-in vary and closed inside certainly one of McIlroy, who missed a six-foot birdie probability on the fifteenth after which spurned one other alternative to increase his benefit on the par-five sixteenth.
A sensational up and down from the tough by Spaun on the par-five sixteenth arrange a tap-in birdie to drag degree, as McIlroy two-putted the seventeenth earlier than negotiating a difficult long-range two-putt on the final to set the clubhouse goal.
Spaun saved par on the seventeenth and recovered from discovering the pines off the ultimate tee to go away himself a 30-foot putt for birdie, which completed agonisingly wanting the outlet, however left a kick-in par to shut a level-par 71 and take the competition to further holes.
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McIlroy: I gave myself possibilities to win
McIlroy, the 2019 Gamers champion, chatting with Sky Sports activities: “It’s been a long day. I got off to a great start before play was halted. And once we got back out there, I made the perfect start again with a birdie at 12.
“On the way in which in, I really feel like I gave myself possibilities to shut the door and win this golf match – and I did not fairly do this. I’ll need to do it the onerous approach, keep yet another evening and attempt to do it tomorrow.
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McIlroy displays on a marathon Sunday at The Gamers
“There’s not many multiple Players champions. Scottie [Scheffler] has won the last two years… and I’ve spoken a lot about how much I admire Scottie – it would be nice to get two like him, and two like Tiger [Woods]. But I have to put that out of my head, play three good holes in the morning and hopefully that’s enough.”
Spaun, chatting with Sky Sports activities: “This quantity of strain is essentially the most I’ve ever been beneath, so to actually battle by the adversity on the entrance 9 and hit some clutch pictures and make some good birdies coming in, it offers me that increase of confidence that I would like.
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McIlroy performed alongside Spaun within the third spherical of The Gamers
“I definitely need some birdies [tomorrow]. He [Rory] is a great player and is going to be tough to beat… but this final stretch of 16, 17 and 18, anything can happen. I’m just happy to have a chance at it tomorrow.”
Will probably be a three-hole mixture play-off, happening throughout the par-five sixteenth, par-three seventeenth and par-four 18th, with sudden demise then used if wanted. That is the primary play-off at The Gamers since Rickie Fowler’s win in 2015 and the primary Monday end since Cameron Smith’s 2022 success.
Who will win The Gamers? Watch the three-hole play-off between Rory McIlroy and JJ Spaun on Monday from 1pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract on NOW.
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