Rory McIlroy lost ground on the leaders as JJ Spaun led the American charge at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, his third-round 70 putting him one stroke ahead of compatriot Bud Cauley.
World number 57 Spaun, joint-leader after shooting a six-under 66 in Thursday's opening round, followed up Friday’s 68 with five birdies and three bogeys on Saturday to hold a slender advantage heading into the final day.
The 34-year-old Californian saved par on the final hole to stay ahead, sinking a 24-foot putt after a wayward second shot had left him in trouble to reach 12 under.
Cauley’s six-under-par 66, which included an eagle at the par-five ninth, seven birdies and three bogeys, catapulted him up 14 places into second at 11 under, two shots ahead of fellow Americans Lucas Glover and Alex Smalley.
Glover, who finished one under for the day, is tied in third place with Smalley, while another American, Akshay Bhatia, appeared on course to join them on nine under before he bogeyed the last to slip two places.
Rory McIlroy is tied with Bhatia in fifth place at eight under after finishing the third round with a 73.
The world number two, who shot a 67 and 68 in the first two rounds, was one under for the day after 11 holes, but bogeyed three of the last seven holes before birdieing the last.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is seven shots off the lead, tied in 16th place at five under par after carding a 72, alongside five other players, including Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who also finished level-par for the round.
Shane Lowry, who just made the cut, slipped to one over for the tournament after a two-over 74, thanks to a double-bogey on the par-four 18h when his tee-shot found the water.
That left the Offaly man in a share of 51st place.
