McIlroy does little moving as third round 72 leaves him 13 off the lead at Sawgrass

Having been troubled by a back injury for much of the lead up to his defence at the Players Championship, the Irishman matched three birdies with three bogeys and in a tie for 58th

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026 - 18:19

Staff

Rory McIlroy's scratchy return from a back injury continued on Saturday as he struggled for any real momentum in the third round of his defence of the Players Championship.

On moving day in Sawgrass, the reigning champion was mostly standing still with an even-par 72 leaving him exactly where he'd started — on one-over and 13 back from leader and Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg,

The Swede hadn't even got going by the time McIlroy was finished, this the result of the Irishman making the cut on Friday by the barest minimum. Having come into this week with a huge cloud of uncertainty due to the troubling back spasms which had forced him out of Bay Hill last week, McIlroy may just be content to get some rounds in.

On Saturday he paired three birdies with three bogeys adding a 72 to Friday's 71 and Thursday's rusty 74. His day was perhaps summed up on the ninth where McIlroy almost holed his chip from the sand for a birdie, only to miss the short par putt back and card a bogey.

Compatriot Seamus Power fared worse as the Waterford man shot a two-over 74 that was blighted by two nightmarish holes, the par-four 10th where he carded a triple-bogey seven and Sawgrass's testing closing 18th, where a double-bogey six rounded off Power's rough morning. He sat in a tie for 66th on four-over as the leaders prepared to go out.

Earlier day three of action at TPC Sawgrass in Florida was delayed for thousands of fans after two people were shot and killed on Friday night less than a mile from the tournament's main parking area.

St Johns County Sheriff's Office said in a briefing early on Saturday morning that a gunman had killed two people in the parking lot of a Walgreens pharmacy before entering PGA Tour property where he encountered tournament employees during his attempted escape.

It was later reported that the suspect, Christian Joseph Barrios, was apprehended on Saturday morning.

Play was unaffected but a brief statement from tournament organisers read: "Due to operational considerations, gates for today's third round will now open at 9am ET (1300 GMT).

"Tee times will remain as previously scheduled, and all non-course hospitality venues will open at 11am ET."

Sheriff Rob Hardwick said the suspect had escaped on foot after a BMW he had stolen had been pursued and disabled by police in Nassau County.

Before the suspect had been caught, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office released a photo of Barrios and alerted residents that there would be heavy law enforcement presence in the area.

The Sheriff's Office's alert read: "Residents in the area of CR 108 and Middle Road are asked to lock their doors and stay inside. If you see this individual or anything suspicious, do not approach, and call 911."