What did players and commentators say about a tough third day at Sawgrass?

The set-up of the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass came in for huge criticism on day three at The Players Championship as the average score soared above 75. Here's what some of the players and commentators had to say about the tough conditions...

Jason Day (73): "The green speeds kind of took me by surprise. It was just such a drastic change from Thursday to Friday to now. We were out there for nearly six hours today trying to play 18 holes, and they made the course pretty much nearly unplayable. This was the toughest day I've ever had to play in my life.

"The greens got a little bit out of hand on the front side. Some of the pin locations were a little iffy with how quick the greens were. I was very shocked, and all you could do was just try to survive. I've never got over putts where I've had to lag a 10-footer and try and get it somewhere near the hole. That's the first time in my career I've played that way."

Rory McIlroy (75): "That was borderline unfair on a few holes. A few pin positions were on crowns, and you dribble a putt past the hole and it's six feet by. It's like a US Open out there...you can't even ground your club on the greens."

Justin Rose (78): "We always play golf on the edge, championship golf is getting it on the knife's edge. Players want it firm and fast. And then when they get it a little too firm and fast, we hate it. There's a very fine line there."

Sergio Garcia (77, including a six-putt): "Today at The Players, those were without a doubt the quickest browns, I mean greens, I've ever played in my career! Fast!"

Butch Harmon: "Okay I'll say it, these greens are out of control now. They've let them get away from themselves I think. I will tell you what, they did not like that 15 under leading did they? They have taken care of that quickly with this course set up.

"I would like to be a fly on the wall in that locker-room when these players get in there. It's not going to sound good."

Nick Dougherty: "We have seen some top quality players 30 feet from the pin, and they're finding it almost impossible to get their ball within six feet of the hole with their first putts. It's golf on the edge. The course has been criticised in the past for being too short, so the problem for the organisers is that the only way they can defend Sawgrass is to dry the course out, turn the greens brown and put the pins in inaccessible places."

Ian Poulter (79) via Twitter: "Well that was quite tricky..... Shinnecock TPC, feels like I've been hit with a big wet 10lb salmon. Some interesting conversations this evening with players and the tour. I would expect a statement coming out soon from what I gathered. 

"There were some great scores so no excuses, but we shouldn't take 5 hours 50 minutes to play golf. It's too long. They were as fast as Shinnecock hills 2004 but shinnecock had more severe slopes, so I think they were quickest I've ever seen."

Billy Horschel (75): "Man, I felt like I was putting on dance floors out there. We all did. Augusta is probably the quickest greens we play all year, and I'm sorry, Sawgrass made those greens look like 8s on the Stimpmeter."

Matt Kuchar (72): "It was nasty. It was so difficult. Overnight they made a drastic change; it went from maybe 11 on the stimpmeter to close to 14 and it felt like there was no friction. It was hard to keep the putter still on the green."

Adam Scott (75): "The balls were going in the hole at a good holing speed, but if they missed, they were going nine feet by. They were as quick as they could possibly be to be playable. They must have rolled them more than normal."

Daniel Berger (73): "You almost needed sticky tape at the bottom of your putter. It was such a big difference from yesterday. Putts that would be a foot short were seven feet by the hole."

Ken Duke (65): "I don't think it was unfair. A lot of Open Championships and US Opens are set up a lot harder than this. We just had some wind and the greens firmed up a little bit and got speedy."

Mark Russell, PGA Tour senior vice president of competition: "We weren't expecting a 20 mile-an-hour wind all day, and the humidity 30 percent, not a cloud in the sky. And they just, you know, sped up on us. We weren't trying to do anything, we've done the same thing we've done all week."