PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Rory McIlroy built a three-shot lead on the back nine at The Players Championship and unheralded J.J. Spaun didn't blink. They wound up tied after a four-hour rain delay and had to return Monday for a playoff to decide who wins the richest tournament in golf.
McIlroy needed two putts from 75 feet on the par-4 18th for a 4-under 68. All he could do was wait in the scoring area on Spaun, who had caught up with a marvelous chip on the par-5 16th and stood over a 30-foot putt for the win.
It stopped inches short, giving Spaun a 72 to match McIlroy at 12-under 276.
"I feel like I had a chance to go home with the trophy tonight, but I'll get a good night's sleep and reset and try to win it tomorrow," McIlroy said. "I'm happy to be in the position that I am, but also I feel like I had chances there on the back nine to close the door, and I didn't quite do that."
They did well to finish in regulation before sunset. The Players has a three-hole aggregate playoff on the most dynamic holes on the TPC Sawgrass -- the par-5 16th, the island green on the par-3 17th and the daunting par-4 closing hole.
It will be the first Monday finish since Cameron Smith won in 2022 and the first playoff at The Players since Rickie Fowler won 10 years ago.
"I'd like to think that I can fall back on my experience and maybe have a little bit more than J.J., but then at the same time, tomorrow is all just about execution and getting up there and, as I said, making five good swings," McIlroy said.
Tom Hoge had to wait out the four-hole delay with a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th. He returned and missed, posting a 66 and wound up two shots behind. Lucas Glover rallied from a rough front nine for a 71 and joined Hoge and Akshay Bhatia (70).
Bud Cauley, whose thought his career was over from crushing injuries in a 2018 car crash in Ohio, fell back early and steadied himself for a 74. He tied for sixth, giving him more than enough points to fulfill his medical exemption for the rest of the year.
ESPN's Paolo Uggetti and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
