Ludwig Oberg heads into the final round of The Players with a commanding three-shot lead as Cam Young and Matt Fitzpatrick suffer costly finishes at TPC Sawgrass.
Oberg started the weekend with a two-stroke advantage after shooting an incredible second-round 63, including a record-tying front nine. Oberg, a two-time PGA Tour champion, never left the lead despite playing the first eight holes at 1-over on Saturday.
Birdie and eagle on the next two par-5s put Oberg in the lead, but a late bogey meant he settled for a 1-under 71 and improved to 13 under, comfortably ahead of debutant Michael Thorbjornsen.
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Justin Thomas scores a triple-bogey 7 in the third round of The Players
Young remained alone in second place until a double bogey on the final hole dropped him to nine under par, while Fitzpatrick also finished the third round with a 69, moving him into a tie for fourth with Xander Schauffele, Brian Herman, Viktor Hovland, Justin Thomas and Corey Connors.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler bounced back from a poor weekend and shot a bogey-free 67 to move to 4 under par, but defending champion Rory McIlroy struggled with a level par 72 and was only 1 over.
How Oberg built a huge lead on The Players
Oberg’s slow start in the third round gave his followers early hope, but he was unable to capitalize on the par-5 second hole and made bogey with a layup from thick rough on the fourth.
Thorbjornsen shot a 33 on the front nine and made an eagle on the par-5 11th to move within one lead. Meanwhile, Jacob Bridgman did the same for the turn at 32, but both bogeyed on the next hole, and Oberg made a 7-foot birdie on the ninth to take a three-place lead.
Ludwig Oberg aims for first win at The Players
Fitzpatrick was within two spots of Oberg, but the Swede made a 20-foot eagle on the par-5 11th to move ahead by four, while Young capitalized on the same hole with a 45-foot birdie on the 13th to take second place outright.
Oberg made pars on the back nine, and his lead widened when Young found water off the tee on the par-3 17th hole and canceled out a spectacular birdie for double bogey, dropping him to nine under.
Oberg was playing alongside Xander Schauffele in the final group.
Thorbjornsen canceled out his two bogeys on the back nine with consecutive gains from No. 16 to maintain sole second place at 10 under, but Oberg’s advantage ended with a three-putt bogey that ended his round.
“I made a few mistakes early on, but I did a good job. I’m glad I started with birdie on the ninth,” Oberg told Sky Sports. “I didn’t feel like I played my best today, but overall I was happy that I was able to get away and put the ball in the hole.”
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Ludwig Oberg reflects on his 1-under 71 third round at The Players
“Sawgrass is about execution. If you go to the fairway and hit a shot, you get a lot of opportunities, but if you don’t, you get punished. That’s the type of golf I really like. I love big-feel tournaments like this. Tomorrow will be a challenge, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Oberg is seeking his third PGA Tour title and first since the Genesis Invitational in 2025, and the 26-year-old will be looking to turn a 36-hole lead into a victory at The Players for the first time since McIlroy in 2019.
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Rory McIlroy found the pond twice during the third round of The Players as the defending champion shot a level par 72
Scotland’s Bob McIntyre moved into the top 10 with a round of 65 on the day, but Scheffler had a clean card and made five birdies to move up 25 places on the leaderboard.
McIlroy couldn’t find any momentum in the third round of his title defense and was unable to match Scheffler’s leaderboard record, but he also had a disappointing mix of three birdies and an equal number of bogeys there.
Who will win The Players? Watch the final round live on Sky Sports Golf from 1pm on Sunday. Sky Sports+ includes featured groups, featured holes and bonus coverage. Get and stream Sky Sports without a contract.
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