Rory McIlroy slipped 4 photographs off the lead after a punishing again 9 in blustery circumstances throughout spherical three at The Gamers Championship.
The 2019 champion carded a one-over 73 to path unheralded American JJ Spaun who leads at 12 beneath, one forward of tour veteran Bud Cauley.
McIlroy was at 10 beneath after 9 holes at Sawgrass’ iconic Stadium Course however struggled on the second 9, dropping photographs on the twelfth, thirteenth and seventeenth holes in addition to lacking a presentable birdie likelihood on the par-five sixteenth.
He did, nevertheless, birdie the final to stay in contact amid loud roars from the followers surrounding the 18th inexperienced.
“I felt like I performed higher than I scored,” stated McIlroy. “I left rather a lot on the market however on the identical time I’m not too distant.”
As for Spaun, he confirmed admirable composure all through his spherical, together with an excellent par putt from 25 toes on the ultimate gap when he gave the impression to be faltering, after bogeying the seventeenth.
At one stage, there have been seven gamers inside one shot of the lead, however the gusting winds made scoring powerful.
Cauley was among the many few to make a big upwards transfer, carding the joint finest rating of that day with a six-under 66 to succeed in 11 beneath.
He’s two forward of 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover, who chipped in thrice throughout a rollercoaster spherical of 71. His ultimate chip-in was for an eagle on the par-five sixteenth, however that was sandwiched by double bogeys on the fifteenth and seventeenth, the latter after discovering water off the tee on the notoriously tough ‘island gap’.
In a single day joint chief Akshay Bhatia is alongside McIlroy on eight beneath, his gutsy two-over 74 making certain he stays in competition going into Sunday. Canada’s Corey Conners can be on that quantity, after taking pictures a 66 a lot earlier within the day.
In the meantime, world primary Scottie Scheffler was uncharacteristically irritable throughout his level-par spherical of 72 that left him at 5 beneath. He threw his ball into the water after a three-putt bogey on the seventeenth, after which angrily chucked his membership at his golf bag after one other mistake on the final.
With play already introduced ahead on Sunday to keep away from forecast storms, Scheffler will want a outstanding spherical to safe an unprecedented third straight title at TPC Sawgrass.
The leaders will head out round 14:00 GMT and BBC Sport may have dwell radio and textual content commentary of the ultimate spherical.
