J.J. Spaun fell an inch wanting profitable US$4.5 million on the 72nd gap because the American underdog and Rory McIlroy are set for an epic three-hole mixture playoff to resolve The Gamers Championship at 12am Tuesday AEDT.
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A 4 hour delay brought on by wild climate despatched the ultimate spherical into chaos as darkness descended throughout TPC Sawgrass, stopping a winner being topped on a controversial day.
As a substitute they’ll wrestle once more with the epic ending holes on the Florida course as they play the sixteenth, seventeenth and 18th that are all surrounded by water on Monday morning US time.
Spaun was the in a single day chief and made two again 9 birdies to attract stage with McIlroy, who led by three pictures after birding the twelfth gap instantly after the resumption, at -12.
Nevertheless it was a birdie on the ninth gap that arguably proved to be most useful for Spaun.
LEADERBOARD: Scores
Spaun used the principles creatively on the par 5 to assist him reclaim floor after dropping two pictures on the entrance 9.
The 34-year-old, who’s chasing his second PGA Tour victory, acquired reduction from the tough as a result of he was standing on a sprinkler head, then took his drop onto one other sprinkler head to get reduction from that, and ended up on the green.
“I simply tried to simply combat again. I form of went with the chances. I had nothing to lose,” Spaun mentioned post-round.
“Now I’m making an attempt to catch Rory, and I can’t actually management what he does, however I can management what I do, and I simply began committing to my pictures and my swing and trusting it extra. As a result of it’s simple to form of — now after I’m looking, it’s simpler to let it go. Whereas, beginning the spherical I used to be a little bit tentative, a little bit scared and stuff.”
However Spaun additionally benefitted from McIlroy’s placing woes resurfacing as soon as once more throughout the again 9.
The world quantity two missed a birdie putt from inside six ft on the 14th and virtually let the match slip together with his par putt on the closing gap from inside 5 ft.
The putt critically considered lipping out, however dropped in with the commentators crying “you don’t see putts lip in at that tempo, that’s very lucky”.
“Yeah, if something I assumed I hit it useless straight and fairly agency, pondering, if something, it could go a contact left and it really went a contact proper,” McIlroy mentioned.
“I feel as the sunshine was fading, I simply was struggling to learn them a little bit bit.”
The three-hole playoff the next day is a primary for McIlroy in his profession and it is going to be a serious check of who can again up finest.
The prolonged suspension of play was mentally draining for the gamers, McIlroy spent the time watching Manchester United defeat Leicester Metropolis within the English Premier League.
“I’ve by no means skilled it earlier than. I don’t fairly know. However yeah, it’s going to be cool to be part of,” McIlroy mentioned.
“I suppose it’s very a lot only a three-hole match play situation. That’s all it’s. Simply attempt to put together as finest I can tomorrow morning. Get a very good night time’s sleep. It’s been a really lengthy day for all of us.”
McIlroy’s quick lead earlier than play halted | 02:45
Extending the match to a Monday end, US time, was additionally the case when Cameron Smith received the profitable $40 million occasion in 2022, albeit it didn’t go to a playoff, however the Australians didn’t fare as properly this yr.
Min Woo Lee’s weekend downward spiral continued, following up his six-over par third spherical nightmare with a one-over par spherical.
He completed in a tie for twentieth at -4 alongside world primary Scottie Scheffler and eight others after main the match on the midway mark.
‘The captain simply made a one!’ | 00:55
One of many highlights of the day undeniably belonged to US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley who made a hole-in-one on the par 3 thirteenth.
Bradley used a seven-iron on the 153-yard gap to make his second ace for the season, and the fourth of his profession.
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