Summary

Live Reporting

Joe Bradshaw

  1. Iain Carter
    BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass

    He's already smiling is McIlroy. He knows the job is done. And he's done this without his A game this week.

  2. McIlroy E, Spaun +3 (2*)

    JJ Spaun goes first and he finds the green but it's about 70 feet from the hole.

    Show him how it's done Rory. McIlroy steps up and wafts in a delightful iron that lands stone dead, 16 feet from the pin.

    We are moments away from his second Players title.

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

    Spaun did go for a low cut under the trees but it looks like it clipped a tree which killed his ball.

  4. McIlroy E, Spaun +3 (2*)

    Oof, JJ Spaun has topped it and it's barely gone anywhere.

    Maybe he was trying to hit a low cut and get down towards the green but it's not worked out for him.

    Serenely, Rory McIlroy just chips out and lands his ball almost mockingly next to Spaun's on the fairway.

  5. McIlroy E, Spaun +3 (2*)

    Both players have trees totally blocking their view of the fairway.

    This scene reminds me of how I play golf.

  6. McIlroy E, Spaun +3 (2*)

    JJ Spaun can only take risks now if he's to stand any chance at all of winning this title.

    But he's left his game at the hotel and his tee shot has a very similar shape to Rory McIlroy's only with 50 yards less distance.

    That'll be a devilishly tricky second shot for him.

  7. McIlroy E, Spaun +3 (2*)

    Driver in hand, Rory McIlroy unleashes from the tee.

    He takes water out of the equation but off his tee shot flies, waaaay right into the punters that are hoarding the 18th fairway.

    Cue the usual clamour and hubbub to get around the ball from the punters.

    Not exactly risk-free golf from McIlroy.

  8. Iain Carter
    BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass

    He's got the driver out. It is into the wind. There are trees up the right, which is the miss. There's water all down the left. The fairway is pretty narrow. He just has to keep this ball dry.

  9. One hole. Three-shot lead. Surely.

    This is Rory McIlroy's title right?

    Thumbs up if you agree.

  10. Bogey for McIlroy as Spaun drops three shots

    McIlroy E, Spaun +3 (2*)

    You feel JJ Spaun has to make this and hope Rory McIlroy fluffs his short putt.

    On its way, but it does not threaten the hole. It's an ugly triple bogey for the world number 57.

    That takes the pressure off Rory McIlroy and good job too, as he misses from nine feet.

    He drops back to level par but goes down 18 with a three-shot advantage.

  11. McIlroy -1, Spaun E (1*)

    Or can he?

    He only tapped it but the green was lightning fast and took his ball fully nine feet past.

  12. McIlroy -1, Spaun E (1*)

    JJ Spaun does not waste any time with that. In the fringe, he clips it out to escape the rough and rolls his ball round the back of the hole.

    It'll be 10 feet for double bogey.

    If Rory McIlroy needed this to drop, the downhill putt might be testing but he can cosy it up.

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

    JJ looks like he hasn't woken up yet. Perhaps he needed an extra hour in bed, or a stronger coffee.

  14. McIlroy -1, Spaun E (1*)

    Generous applause from the galleries as JJ Spaun strides down the narrow path onto the green.

    Rory McIlroy has been there a while and, given he has 29 feet for birdie, he'll need to keep waiting for Spaun to take the next shot.

    Risk-free golf from McIlroy for the next 20 minutes gets this done.

  15. Iain Carter
    BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass

    This, at a rate of knots, is falling into Rory's hands and he's going to be the Players champion unless something extraordinary happens here.

  16. McIlroy -1, Spaun E (1*)

    Well, JJ Spaun is onto the green but it's rolled down that bruising collar and fallen back from the 17th hole.

    He'll have 42 feet across an undulating nightmare just to save bogey.

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

    That was a relatively low ball flight from Spaun and if you don't get the ball above the line of the grandstands it won't be as affected by the wind, which was against him.

  18. McIlroy -1, Spaun E (1*)

    Rory McIlroy is a picture of serenity as he strolls around the water towards the island green here at the 17th. He doesn't need to taking a shot from the drop zone.

    If JJ Spaun is to have any hope whatsoever, he needs to minimise the damage from here.

  19. McIlroy -1, Spaun E (1*)

    That is so tough to take.

    Four rounds. 72 holes. Toe to toe with Rory McIlroy and then the 17th hole gobbles up JJ Spaun.

  20. Iain Carter
    BBC golf correspondent at Sawgrass

    Rory McIlroy has one hand on the trophy because Spaun has gone in the water. With that surely the journeyman's challenge has drowned.