Rory McIlroy’s bid for a second Players Championship title was interrupted by bad weather at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday.
McIlroy began the final round four shots off the lead but a brilliant start helped take the world number two to the top of the leaderboard before play was suspended due to the threat of lightning.
The 2019 winner followed a birdie on the first with an eagle from 10 feet on the par-five second after a superb long-iron approach from 230 yards.
Final-round play was suspended at 1:15 p.m. ET due to inclement weather in the area.
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McIlroy also responded to a bogey on the seventh with a birdie on the eighth and another birdie on the par-five 11th took the Northern Irishman to 12 under par, a shot ahead of overnight leader JJ Spaun.
Spaun had covered his first eight holes in two over par before getting back on track with a birdie on the ninth. He missed from six feet for another birdie on the 10th shortly before the players were forced off the course.
Tom Hoge, Akshay Bhatia and Danny Walker were two shots off the lead in a tie for third, with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre part of a five-man group two strokes further back on eight under.
