Outrageous amount of spin on Rory McIlroy's approach, which zips back miles on the green to leave an outside chance of saving par.

But not only does he miss but he blazes it right through the break and four feet past!

That's a nervy one to leave coming back for a bogey...

That is a dime from JJ Spaun off the tee at the par-three 13th and he's given himself a decent birdie look from 14 feet.

Can he claw back to within two? Ah no, he's left it short. Tentative from the overnight leader.

Meanwhile, Bud Caulay slips right back with another bogey after misjudging his approach.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass

Rory carries a 61-degree wedge and I think he used that there.

Rory McIlroy takes his medicine and just lobs the ball high up and over the trees and back onto the fairway.

Ah... so Bob MacIntyre was playing his third into the 16th. We weren't shown his wayward tee shot and hack out of the undergrowth.

Still, from 176 yards to two feet is decent and he knocks in the birdie.

A par for Danny Walker, which isn't bad on 14 today as the toughest hole on the course, with a scoring average of 4.41 so far in the final round.

Akshay Bhatia left his birdie putt a good few feet short but tidies up to stay at 10 under - he'll need to find some birdies soon though to challenge Rory McIlroy.

Uh oh! First spot of bother for Rory McIlroy as he sprays his tee shot on 14 miles right, and sends the fans scurrying off into the trees to surround his ball and get a good view of his second.

That continues the theme of the week of McIlroy's driver just not functioning properly - and it's usually his big strength.

Bobby MacIntyre. Take a bow. He's out with a long iron for his second shot on the par-five 16th and gives his ball a biff. "Go" he shouts after it and it does indeed go, and takes a slightly fortuitous bounce off the front edge of the green that takes his ball to kick-in range.

Eagle incoming. How he must be rueing that bogey on the 15th.

Shot tracking tells me it's 37 feet for Rory McIlroy down the hill at 13, which he navigates expertly to leave a little two-foot tickle to tick off another par.

Gutsy from Bud Caulay who again bounces back from a bogey with a birdie, this time on the 12th.

I can't see him reeling in Rory McIlroy but this is still likely to be a career finish for the American who turned 35 today.

Playing partner JJ Spaun can't follow him in for birdie so he stays three back of McIlroy.

Rory McIlroy isn't playing with the water on 13 so hangs his tee shot high up on the right and looking to bring it down the slope, as Akshay Bhatia did just before him.

However, the ball clings on up there and he's left himself what must be about 40 feet to get down in two for his par.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass

Although he loves the back nine at Sawgrass, Rory doesn't love the par-three 13th. He's a cumulative six over par on this hole.

Akshay Bhatia just doesn't hit his birdie putt hard enough on 13 and it pulls up agonisingly short of the cup.

Danny Walker thought he'd found the water off the tee but his ball managed to cling on, and after a chip he's left with a naughty four footer that just breaks away from the hole and costs him a shot.

Bob MacIntyre's hopes of threatening the leaders has stumbled on the 15th. He was in the cabbage off the tee and if you stray offline at Sawgrass you often pay the penalty.

He misses a 16-footer for par and falls back into a share of 10th place.

Remember when Scottie Scheffler couldn't putt?

He's just fluffed a short one at the 16th as he eyed up birdie on the easiest hole at the golf course.

He's been marooned at five under par all day today.

Thunder has been reverberating around TPC Sawgrass for the past four hours but now the rumbles are being brought by Rory McIlroy who suddenly has a commanding three-shot lead at The Players.

JJ Spaun looks rueful as his eight-foot putt drifts by and another shot is given up.

Trying to rein in McIlroy when he's three behind? I don't envy him.

What a way to get back into the action as Rory McIlroy rolls a beauty 12 feet down the hill and his ball just catches enough of the left edge to drop into the hole with perfect pace.

That instantly gives McIlroy a three-shot lead.

Tom Hoge hits a great putt on 18 from 15 feet or so that just parks up right next to the hole, so he'll have to settle for a par to finish on 10 under.

It's a fine round of 66 though and he sets the clubhouse target which could be interesting with the leaders still having to negotiate this tough finishing stretch.

We join JJ Spaun facing up a 70-foot putt for birdie at the back of the 11th green. He'll need to get down in two otherwise Rory McIlroy will have daylight at the top.

It can't be easy reading these greens after four hours of rain but his pace is good - he's just a way off line with it and leaves himself eight feet for par

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass

If it goes to a play-off, which is three holes - 16, 17 and 18 - they won't get that in today. They are estimating two hours and 15 minutes of play left and sunset is 7.35pm local time (23:35 GMT)