Summary

  1. Bye for now - come back for play-off Monday!published at 23:50 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Rory McIlroy at the Players ChampionshipImage source, Getty Images

    Right then, off to bed golf fans and make your excuses for tomorrow so you can join us for some bonus Monday action with a play-off for the Players Championship.

    Rory McIlroy will take on JJ Spaun at 13:00 GMT tomorrow, and we'll have live coverage of what should be a thrilling three-hole fight across a TPC Sawgrass finish where anything can happen.

    It's an aggregate play-off so it won't be settled until the final putt drops - and it should be quite the event. So make sure you join us then!

  2. 'Anything can happen'published at 23:37 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Spaun -12 (72)

    JJ Spaun at the Players ChampionshipImage source, Getty Images

    JJ Spaun on Sky Sports: "I think this amount of pressure is the most I've ever been under.

    "So to fight through the adversity on the front nine and make some clutch shots on the back nine gives me some self belief."

    And on what will it take to beat Rory McIlroy: "Definitely some birdies. He's a great player, he's going to be tough to beat, but on this final stretch of 16, 17 and 18 anything can happen."

  3. 'It would mean an awful lot'published at 23:36 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    McIlroy -12 (68)

    More Rory McIlroy on what a second Players Championship title would mean:

    "It would mean an awful lot, there aren't many multiple Players champions.

    "Scottie's won the last two years, it'd be nice to get two like him, and two like Tiger I guess.

    "But I have to put that out of my head and just play three good holes in the morning and hopefully that's good enough."

  4. McIlroy ready to win it the hard waypublished at 23:33 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    McIlroy -12 (68)

    Rory McIlroy at the Players ChampionshipImage source, Getty Images

    Rory McIlroy feels he should be lifting the Players Championship trophy by now, but is ready to try and win it the hard way on Monday:

    "It's been a long day," he told Sky Sports.

    "On the way in I feel like I gave myself chances to close the door and win this golf tournament but I didn't quite do that.

    "So going to have to do it the hard way and stay one more night and try to do it tomorrow.

    "I'm looking forward to my head hitting the pillow tonight and getting a good night's sleep."

  5. So close!published at 23:26 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Spaun -12 (72)

    JJ Spaun was this close to winning the Players Championship...

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  6. When's the play-off?published at 23:23 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Spaun -12 (72), McIlroy -12 (68)

    Rory McIlroy v JJ Spaun will take place tomorrow morning at TPC Sawgrass, and is scheduled for a 09:00 start local time, that's 13:00 GMT.

    It's a three-hole play-off, starting on the 16th and taking the players down the 17th and 18th holes. If they are still tied, they go into sudden death on the 17th and then the 18th. Then it's back to the 16th, with 17th and 18th to follow until a winner is decided.

  7. 'I should be going home with the trophy'published at 23:22 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    McIlroy -12 (68)

    Rory McIlroy talking to NBC about his missed chances: "It got really dark on 15 and 16 and I found it difficult to read the putts. All day was a bit of a battle. I'm standing here feeling like I should be going home with the trophy tonight. But I'll reset."

  8. Players Championship Monday play-offpublished at 23:21 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Spaun -12 (72), McIlroy -12 (68)

    With the sun setting over TPC Sawgrass, we've not got time to get the three-hole play-off in so the PGA Tour have confirmed that we will all have to come back tomorrow to settle this argument.

    Rory McIlroy and JJ Spaun will play the 16th, 17th and 18th on Monday morning to see who will be crowned the winner of the 51st Players Championship.

  9. Spaun just falls shortpublished at 23:19 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Spaun -12 (72), Cauley -9 (74), Glover -10 (71)

    JJ Spaun signs for a level-par 72 to finish alongside Rory McIlroy on 12 under.

    Great tournaments for Lucas Glover and Bud Cauley as well - with Glover pressing his Ryder Cup claims and Cauley fighting for his tour card after spending so long out of the game.

    JJ SpaunImage source, Getty Images
  10. Agony!published at 23:16 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Spaun -12, Cauley -9, Glover -10 (17)

    Just short! JJ Spaun hits another wonderful putt that's tracking all the way and looks for all the world to be destined for the hole.

    BUT, it just about runs out of gas as Spaun sinks to his knees as the biggest moment of his sporting career just evades him - for now....

  11. Postpublished at 23:15 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Iain Carter
    BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass

    It's the biggest sporting moment in JJ Spaun's life.

  12. Postpublished at 23:15 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Spaun -12, Cauley -9, Glover -10 (17)

    JJ Spaun drained a long putt on 18 yesterday, can he repeat the dose now? That one yesterday was a few feet closer, oh and it also wasn't for the title...

  13. Spaun has a putt to win itpublished at 23:11 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Spaun -12, Cauley -9, Glover -10 (17)

    It's not the worst lie in the pine straw for JJ Spaun, who hammers it towards the green and find the short stuff safe enough.

    He'll now have about a 30 footer to win the Players Championship, or more likely two putts to force a play-off with Rory McIlroy.

  14. Postpublished at 23:09 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Spaun -12, Cauley -9, Glover -10 (17)

    Further back up the 18th, JJ Spaun has found the edge of the pine straw down the right hand side with his tee shot.

    He'll have a bit of resistance to his approach but he knows what he needs to do.

    Birdie for the win. Par for the play-off.

  15. Postpublished at 23:08 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Iain Carter
    BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass

    Rory McIlroy takes off his cap and I'm sure there are a few more grey hairs on his head than at the start of the day.

  16. Par finish - just!published at 23:08 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    McIlroy -12 (68)

    There's a big puff of the cheeks from Rory McIlroy as he knocks in his par putt on the last - but only just as the balls was sliding right before catching enough of the edge to send it into the cup.

    That's a 68 for McIlroy and a 12 under finish - leaving JJ Spaun needing a par for a play-off or a birdie to win!

  17. Postpublished at 23:04 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Zane Scotland
    Former European Tour player on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    It's that distance Rory doesn't find overly comfortable.

  18. Postpublished at 23:03 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    McIlroy -12 (17)

    Rory McIlroy is acres away from this 18th flag - about 70 feet and he's going uphill as well. I'm not sure putter is enough club for this one!

    It's a great effort though, especially for pace as it's about pin high where he finishes, with about four feet left for par.

  19. Postpublished at 23:02 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Spaun -12, Cauley -9, Glover -10 (17)

    So on to the last for JJ Spaun - the second hardest hole on the course this week.

    After surviving the daunting tee shot on 17, he's got himself another to navigate.

  20. Postpublished at 23:00 Greenwich Mean Time 16 March

    Iain Carter
    BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass

    If Rory doesn't win this, there will be more scar tissue to add to plenty, as he heads to the first major championship of the year.