Reporting from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. — Jason Day began the third round of the Players Championship with the tournament’s 36-hole scoring record and without a bogey on his scoreboard.
But on a day when some the world’s best players called foul and TPC Sawgrass finally flexed its considerable muscle, the world’s No. 1 player made a pair of double bogeys during a three-hole span before he had even made the turn.
A four-putt on the par-four sixth hole was the low point. In the end, though, Day was one of the lucky ones.
Day was able to right the ship and maintain his four-shot lead after carding a one-over-par 73.
“To have two doubles on the front side and then play some nice golf on the back side to really kind of keep that distance was nice,” Day said.
The wheels came off for pretty much everyone else.
Ideal scoring conditions the first two rounds quickly were forgotten as designer Pete Dye’s layout turned diabolical.
“It was crazy tough,” Japan’s 24-year-old Hideki Matsuyama said.
Some players felt the course conditions were crazy unfair.
The putting surfaces were soft and receptive as recently as Saturday morning, when 33 players completed their second rounds because of a two-hour weather delay Friday.
By Saturday afternoon, the greens were dry, crusty and lightning fast.
“I’ve never seen putts that quick before,” Billy Horschel said.
Kevin Chappell, who managed to card a two-under 70, described the greens as, “Dead. Balding.”
In light of the conditions, even two-putting became guesswork. When the dust settled, players had combined for a course-record 149 three-putts or worse.
On the par-four fifth hole, Sergio Garcia five-putted from nine feet away — only the seventh five-putt at TPC Sawgrass since 1992. A little later Paul Casey made it eight.
2004 Players champion Adam Scott, a two-time winner this season, questioned whether PGA Tour officials had altered the greens to curtail the scoring barrage during the opening 36 holes.
“It was a massive change,” said Scott, who shot 75. “It wasn’t very subtle.”
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Jason Day of Australia plays a shot on the 15th hole Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
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Jason Day takes a big divot while playing a shot at No. 14 on Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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Jason Day acknowledges the cheers from spectators on the 13th green during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday.
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American Matt Kuchar lines up his putt on the 16th green during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday.
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan hits his tee shot at No. 8 during the final round of the Players Championship on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Colt Knost of the United States reacts after almost making a chip on the second hole Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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American Kevin Chappell hits his tee shot at No. 5 on Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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Jason Day hits his tee shot at No. 8 on Sunday during the final round of the Players Championship.
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Justin Thomas of the United States acknowledges the gallery after finishing his round of seven-under 65 on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Alex Cejka of Germany reacts to his birdie on the 17th green during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off at No. 17 during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Jason Day lines up a putt at the ninth hole on Saturday during the third round of the Players Championship.
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Jason Day of Australia hits from a sand trap at the eighth hole during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Kevin Chappell reacts after missing a putt during the Players Championship, where he finished second. (Scott Halleran / Getty Images)
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Russell Knox of Scotland kept his humor at the par-three 17th hole, the famous island green, where he raised his arms triumphantly after making a putt to score nine. He put four shots in the water.
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan chips onto the 16th green during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Ryan Palmer of the United States hits from a greenside sand trap at No. 2 during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Ken Duke of the United States lines up a putt for birdie on the ninth green during the third round of the Players Championship on Saturday.
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Jonas Blixt of Sweden tees off at No. 10 during the second round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Friday.
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American Jordan Spieth hits his tee shot at No. 3 on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his chip shot bounce on the ninth green during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday.
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Phil Mickelson follows his shot from the ninth tee during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday.
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Charley Hoffman of the United States tees off at No. 9 at TPC Sawgrass on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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American Cameron Tringale hits from a sand trap at the eighth green on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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Alex Cejka of Germany reacts after missing a birdie putt at No. 6 on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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American Davis Love III putts from the edge of the 17th island green during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday.
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Jason Day of Australia hits his tee shot at No. 11 during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Justin Rose of England hits from a fairway sand trap on the second hole Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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In this black-and-white image, Henrik Stenson of Sweden hits his tee shot at No. 6 on Friday during the second round of the Players Championship.
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Danny Lee of New Zealand follows through on his tee shot at No. 11 during the second round of the Players Championship on Friday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Jason Day of Australia plays his shot from the 17th tee to the island green during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
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Jason Day acknowledges the fans at the ninth green during the first round of the Players Championships on Thursday, when he would tie the course record with a 63.
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Shane Lowry of Ireland shakes hands with caddie John McLaren after shooting a seven-under 65 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday.
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Justin Rose of England bounces the golf ball with his driver as he wait to tee off at No. 11 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship. Rose shot a seven-under 65.
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American Dustin Johnson hits from a sand trap alongside the ninth green during the first round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday. Johnson shot a two-under 70.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays from a hillside during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday. McIlroy would finish at even-par 72.
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American Jordan Spieth drops his club on his follow through after teeeing off at No. 9 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship.
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American Rickie Fowler prepares to chip from off the 17th green during the first round of the Players Champioship on Thursday. The defending champion finished at even-par 72.
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Rory McIlroy follows through on his tee shot at No. 15 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday at TPC Sawgrass.
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Sergio Garcia of Spain tees off at No. 9 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday, when he shot an even-par 72.
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Bubba Watson of the United States watches his tee shot at No. 15 during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday. Watson would finish at three-under 69.
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Jason Day plays a shot from a bunker at the 11th hole during the first round of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Thursday.
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Rory McIlroy tees off at No. 11 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship.
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Shane Lowry hits his approach shot at No. 4 on Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship.
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Dustin Johnson plays a shot from the fairway during the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday.
(Sam Greenwood / Getty Images) Following a 75 that took him out of contention, world No. 3 Rory McIlroy said some of the pin placements were “borderline unfair,” especially given the green speeds.
Head rules official Mark Russell blamed low humidity, high temperatures and 20-mph winds for turning TPC Sawgrass from a pushover to a U.S. Open-like test.
“We have done the same thing all week,” Russell said. “What happened today was just kind of a perfect storm with the weather. And they just sped up on us.”
By day’s end, 60 of the 76 players who made the cut made at least one double bogey or worse.
Justin Rose made three double bogeys through eight holes on his way to a six-over 42 on his opening nine. 2014 Players champion Martin Kaymer carded a quintuple-bogey nine on the par-four 14th hole — the toughest hole the first two days — to open with a 41.
Russell Knox arrived at the island 17th hole eight under for the week, and then hit three balls in the water on his to a sextuple-bogey nine and a round of 80. Knox was among seven golfers with rounds in the 80s.
Meanwhile, Matsuyama was one of only three to shoot in the 60s. The world’s 14th-ranked player recorded a brilliant five-under 67 to move into a three-way tie for second place at 10-under with 45-year-old Alex Cejka and 47-year-old Ken Duke,
Duke turned in one of the rounds of the year with a seven-under 65 that included five straight birdies during a six-under 30 on the front nine.
“What golf course was Ken Duke playing today? Can anyone tell me that?” Day joked. “I think that should be the golf course record.”
Day hopes TPC Sawgrass returns to normal Sunday, where the course is difficult but fair, and the one of the best fields in golf is not made to look foolish.
“That would ruin everything,” Day said.
Either way, the 28-year-oild Aussie said he will be ready for whatever comes his way he seeks another big win for his growing resume.
“I won’t stop until it’s done,” he said. “I can rest after that.”
egthompson@tribune.com
