Leader: -19 W Simpson (68)
-12 D Lee (72); -10 D Johnson (69)
Selected: -9 J Dufner (66), J Walker (70), X Schauffele (71), J Day (71), C Schwartzel (73)
-8: I Poulter (69), T Woods (65), J Spieth (65) T Fleetwood (68)
-4 M Fitzpatrick (70); -3 M Laird (70)
W Simpson -18 (15)
Webb Simpson takes a driver to the 16th tee, leathering it down the left-hand side of the fairway.
It's a one-man movie at the minute, think The Truman Show - all eyes on the American, with Sawgrass like a revolving set of great shot after great shot for Simpson.
W Simpson -18 (15)
Webb Simpson approaches his putt, before backing off again for another glance and then repeating the process.
That's poorly struck, bobbling across the green like one of mine in the garden. Unsurprisingly, it trickles wide of the target.
He steps up to sink the next one for par.
Image source, Getty Images-18 W Simpson (14)
-11 D Lee (15)
-10 D Johnson (F)
-9 J Dufner (F), J Walker (F), X Schauffele (17), J Day (17), C Schwartzel (14)
-8 J Spieth (F), T Woods (F), T Fleetwood (F), I Poulter (F), H Varner III (F), M Kuchar (F), S Stricker (17), P Cantlay (15)
D Lee -11 (15)
Image source, Getty ImagesDanny Lee loosens up with a few air swings on the 16th fairway, before firing an approach towards the pin from 200+ yards.
It kicks on a little, but he's well placed.
Johnson -10 (69)
Image source, Getty ImagesWorld number one Dustin Johnson was content with a third-round three-under 69 that lifted him to 10 under for the tournament.
He said on Sky Sports: "The wind picked up so it definitely played difficult this afternoon so I'm pleased with three under.
"I had a couple of nice saves on the back nine and I played really well, three under is a good score round here.
"I don't know what the wind is going to do tomorrow but if it's like today and you are not on your game, you can struggle on this course."
When asked what he needed to do to catch runaway leader Webb Simpson, he simply replied: "I need to shoot a low one."
W Simpson -18 (14)
"You clean?" says Webb Simpson's caddie.
"Yeah," states the Players Championship leader confidently, before whipping an approach up to within eight feet of the flag at 15.
"A beautiful golf shot, Webb," is the response.
D Johnson -10
Dustin Johnson reckons there's still hope for the rest of the field with wind expected to sweep through Sawgrass tomorrow...
More from the world number one in a moment.
X Schauffele -9 (17)
Image source, Getty ImagesWonder if Xander Schauffele sings to himself "every day I'm Schauffele"? Probably not...
Anyway, a bogey at the 17th means he's shuffling further away from the lead. Back to nine under par for the American.
W Simpson -18 (14)
So the lead is cut to seven.
Danny Lee the man best placed to make a move on Webb Simpson at 11 under with four holes to play on Saturday.
World number Dustin Johnson a stroke further adrift but back in the clubhouse, and tied with fellow American Jimmy Walker - who's out on the 17th.
W Simpson -18 (14)
Webb Simpson is a little overeager on the 14th green, and for the first time a chink in the American's armour as he skittles a long, downhill putt way past the pin.
Ten feet or so to make par, playing up a gentle slope, and it runs on by.
A rare bogey for the leader!
J Walker -10 (17)
Superb tee shot to the island green and Jimmy Walker makes the putt to join Dustin Johnson at 10 under.
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D Johnson -10
Agonisingly close for Dustin Johnson.
Deft hands from the world number one. He clips on from the fringes at the 18th, with a birdie chance to move to 11 under, but it curls away at the last second.
The American taps in for a par that gives him the clubhouse lead.
W Simpson -19 (12)
Webb Simpson is taking a little time over his tee shot at the par-three 13th.
He shoots right at the flag, but it sits a little earlier than anticipated and sticks. A long-ranger for birdie...
D Lee -11 (13)
Oh, Danny Lee! A chance to close the gap to seven strokes, but the New Zealander's birdie putt loops around the cup at 13 and refuses to drop.
S Garcia -4 (16)
Sergio Garcia with a shirt more colourful than some of tonight's Eurovision entries...
Not quite as much swagger for the Spaniard, though. He is three over for the day, four under for the tournament and down in tied 42nd.
J Day -10 (13)
Jason Day, meanwhile, is currently losing his battle with a bunker beyond the 14th green.
The Australian thinks he's done enough to loft it out, but it trickles back towards him and it's back to the bucket and spade.
D Johnson -10 (17)
Dustin Johnson is still just about clinging on to Webb Simpson's tail.
The world number one pops his tee shot right up alongside the pin at 17 and taps in for birdie.
W Simpson -19 (11)
And to the 12th he goes.
Webb Simpson starts his tee shot a long way right, but watches it curl back to the fairway.
A few stats for you, then...
Steve Elkington currently boasts the biggest winning margin, taking his second Players Championship in 1997 by seven shots at 16 under par.
The lowest winning score was the 24 under par carded by Greg Norman in 1994.
No one with a three-stroke lead heading into the weekend at the Players Championship has ever not won it.
Webb Simpson is currently eight shots clear heading to the 12th tee on Saturday...
W Simpson -19 (11)
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