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The Players: PGA Tour's flagship event set for Monday or Tuesday finish at stormy TPC Sawgrass

Play was suspended at 11.15am local time on Friday due to "unplayable course conditions", with the first round still yet to be completed over the first two days; opening round to continue no earlier than 4pm GMT on Saturday

Saturday 12 March 2022 07:48, UK

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After play was suspended early on Friday, PGA Tour chief referee Gary Young says the tournament could be decided on a very busy Monday

The Players Championship is set to be dragged into a fifth day, with a Tuesday finish also a possibility, after further weather disruption at TPC Sawgrass.

The PGA Tour's flagship event had already experienced more than five hours of delays during Thursday, with the first round still unable to be completed before play was halted around 11.15am on Friday (4.15pm GMT) due to "unplayable course conditions".

Tournament chief referee Gary Young said the course had received around two-and-a-half inches of rain in a 24-hour period and that a Monday finish was effectively certain, while also admitting the event had the "potential" to head into a sixth day for the first time in its history.

Image: The Players has experienced long delays on each of the first two days

Asked if the tournament could even be forced to extend into Tuesday, Young said: "The potential is there. The potential, but let's hope not. I think everything that we're looking at, we feel very confident that we can finish this tournament by Monday."

More than half the field were unable to complete their rounds on the opening day, which had been delayed by an hour due to overnight rain and had a four-hour stoppage due to the threat of lightning, while 12 of the players did not even get to start their tournament until Friday.

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Play resumed at 7.15am on Friday and continued for four hours before persistent rainfall forced officials to suspend play on a saturated golf course, while further storms left the opening round heading into a third day and set to resume "no earlier" than 11am (4pm GMT) on Saturday.

Thunderstorms are again expected early on Saturday, with strong winds also forecast, with Young adding: "We're going to make some adjustments to prepare for that overnight.

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Dustin Johnson at The Players
Image: Dustin Johnson is among the players still to complete their opening rounds

"The superintendent and his crew are going to need proper time to pick up debris, get the golf course back in condition. So there's a lot of variables involved. I'm talking a little bit about scenarios down the road, but I want to be careful about too many expectations."

Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Hoge, who shot 66 on Thursday, remain tied for the lead, with Brice Garnett also reaching six under with five holes to complete when play was halted.

The Players has gone to a Monday finish seven times in the tournament's history but not since Fred Funk's victory in 2005, when it took a fifth day to finish off the third round and complete the final round in its entirety.

Watch The Players throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports' dedicated channel - Sky Sports The Players.

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