Final round at The Players resumes after 4-hour weather delay

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Heavy thunderstorms in Ponte Vedra Beach forced a four-hour stoppage in play, but the tournament resumed around 5:15 p.m.

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Play was called at 1:15 p.m. as a massive boom of thunder rattled the area. The Players called it a Code 2 on its warning scale and directed fans to seek shelter from the weather. The tournament had given weather updates every half hour since the delay. The Players said it is expecting to complete the tournament as scheduled Sunday.

Rory McIlroy was walking under a large umbrella on the 12th hole as the leader of the tournament as rain picked up and pelted fans and golfers. McIlroy had just drained a birdie putt on the par-5 11th hole to grab the solo lead over JJ Spaun. A total of 21 golfers had completed their rounds at the time play was stopped.

The Players moved up Sunday’s schedule significantly to try and get the final round in. Golfers teed off between 8 and 10:01 a.m. and started from both the front and back nine to try and stay ahead of the weather. The tournament has had eight Monday finishes, the last coming in 2022.