Spaun carries 1-shot lead into final round of tough Players - ESPN

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — J.J. Spaun watched his 25-foot putt swirl 360 degrees around the cup and drop for par, a fitting end to a wild, windy, round-wrecking Saturday at the Players Championship that gave him a one-shot lead going into the final round of the richest tournament in golf.

The par gave Spaun a 2-under 70, the lowest score among the final 10 groups that teed off in a strong, steady wind with gusts up to 25 mph on a course that can be intimidating even when the conditions are calm.

Bud Cauley teed off two hours earlier and still faced a bulk of the wind. He finished with three birdies on his last four holes for a 66 to be in the final group.

For so many others — even those very much in the mix — it was a matter of hanging on for dear life at TPC Sawgrass. Lucas Glover had a 71 and finished with a double bogey on the 15th, an eagle by chipping in on the par-5 16th and a double bogey with a tee shot that didn't reach the island on the notorious par-3 17th.

All 18 holes at TPC Sawgrass played difficultly in windy conditions Saturday. That included the famed 17th island green:
10: Balls in the water, out of 72 (13.9%)
8: Doubles or worse
15: Bogeys
44: Pars
5: Birdies
4 feet, 9 inches: Closest shot, by Justin Thomas, the only golfer to be with 5 feet on his tee shot

«It's pretty razor thin around here anyway,» Glover said. «And then you add in 25, 30 miles an hour with some gusts, it shrinks things even more. I did a good job where I was missing for the majority of the day, and there was a couple holes where you just can't miss.»

Spaun was at 12-under 204, a stroke ahead of Cauley and three ahead of Glover and Alex Smalley.

There was plenty of heartache, not including the five rounds in the 80s.

Will Zalatoris was