Players Championship delays gate opening amid manhunt for double murder suspect near golf course

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The Players Championship delayed opening its gates for Saturday’s third round after a manhunt for a suspect accused of fatally shooting two people in a drugstore parking lot that led police onto the grounds of TPC Sawgrass.

St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said in a press conference early Saturday morning that authorities received multiple calls regarding shots fired in a Walgreens parking lot, roughly a mile from the course, at around 10:30 p.m. Friday. 

Si Woo Kim drives off the 17th tee during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on March 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

"Two individuals were shot multiple times. Both those individuals were, of course, transported and have succumbed to their injuries," Hardwick said, describing the scene as a "domestic violence situation." 

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Law enforcement pursued the suspect, identified as 32-year-old Christian Barrios, into the night and said the trail eventually led them to TPC Sawgrass.

"Our canine units actually tracked into TPC, which is, the PGA Tour headquarters is over there. It tracked in there."

Hardwick said the suspect had contact with multiple individuals on the course, including groundskeepers and security. Barrios had also allegedly picked up a PGA Tour radio and later dropped it. 

Law enforcement pursued the suspect, identified as 32-year-old Christian Barrios, into the night and said the trail eventually led them to TPC Sawgrass.   (Nassau County Sheriff's Office)

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Barrios