PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. –

The final round of The Players Championship made a dramatic comeback at 5:15 p.m. EDT Sunday after a four-hour suspension due to an approaching line of thunderstorms that halted play at 1:15 p.m. Tournament officials anticipated this weather disruption and took proactive measures by moving tee times up by approximately three hours and sending players off in threesomes from split tees, all while navigating fierce winds gusting up to 30 mph.

In an electrifying turn of events, Rory McIlroy, who entered the final stretch four shots behind the leader, has surged ahead, now boasting a one-shot lead as he approaches the 12th hole. McIlroy, now at 12 under par, kicked off his day with a thrilling birdie-eagle and is currently 4 under for the round. This impressive performance allowed him to leapfrog ahead of the 54-hole leader, J.J. Spaun.

Speaking of Spaun, he faced challenges on the course, now sitting at 1 over in his final round. As he heads to the par-5 11th, he has a challenging 60-yard bunker shot to navigate for his third shot.

Following closely behind, three players are battling for the top spots: Akshay Bhatia and Danny Walker are both on the 13th hole, while Tom Hoge is putting in a solid effort with a 15-footer on his final hole of the day, hoping to settle at 11 under in the clubhouse. With a commendable 6 under mark through 17 holes, Hoge is having the best round of the day.

As the sun is set to dip below the horizon at 7:34 p.m., there’s a tight timeframe for the competitors to wrap up this thrilling finale. Will McIlroy hold onto his lead, or can Spaun mount an incredible comeback? Fans are on the edge of their seats as we edge closer to the conclusion of this exhilarating championship! Stay tuned for updates on this captivating showdown!