RORY McILROY will take on JJ Spaun in a three-hole play-off for The Players Championship.
The Holywood star carded a final round of 68 to finish on 12 under par after starting the day four strokes adrift of 54-hole leader Spaun.
McIlroy — chasing a 28th PGA Tour title — looked like repeating his 2019 win as he claimed a three-shot lead after the four-hour weather delay.
But he was caught by Spaun, who was agonisingly close to holing a birdie putt on the 18th to win the tournament, and they will be back at Sawgrass today for a three-hole play-off.
The world No 2 made an eagle and a bogey through the first 11 holes to stand on 12 under.
That was good enough for a one-stroke edge over Spaun with Americans Tom Hoge, Akshay Bhatia and Danny Walker sharing third on 10 under when lightning halted play.
About one-quarter inch of rain fell on the course but the storm passed in time for the players to finish before sunset.
McIlroy won the 2019 Players crown and captured his most recent title last month at Pebble Beach.
American Spaun, 34, won his only PGA title at the 2022 Texas Open but was a runner-up two weeks ago at the PGA Cognizant Classic.
McIlroy and Spaun shared the lead on the back nine as heavy rain began but McIlroy grabbed the solo top spot with a 13-foot birdie putt at the par-five 11th just before the suspension of play.
A stormy forecast forced an early morning start in threesomes with McIlroy and Bhatia making early charges from four strokes adrift of Spaun.
McIlroy sank a birdie putt from just outside eight feet at the first hole and made a 10-foot eagle putt at the par-five second to pull within a stroke.
Bhatia birdied the first and fourth holes from just inside 12 feet and sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the second to join McIlroy one back.
Spaun made bogey at the fifth but McIlroy found a greenside bunker at seven and made bogey and Bhatia found a greenside bunker at the par-three eighth and made bogey to leave Spaun back in front.
McIlroy, however, birdied the eighth hole from just inside 15 feet and when Spaun made bogey at the eighth, the Holywood star had the lead alone.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler ended the tournament on four under in a tie for 20th, alongside Shane Lowry who carded a 67 to move the Offaly man up 31 places.
US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley aced the par-three 13th hole.
