Sweden's David Lingmerth drained a a birdie putt at 17 to seize a two-stroke lead at the Players Championship, where darkness halted Saturday's weather-hit third round.
The US PGA Tour rookie was two strokes in front of 14-time major champion Tiger Woods, Spain's Sergio Garcia and fellow Swede Henrik Stenson when play was suspended.
The horn had sounded to signal the end of play, but Lingmerth had the option of completing the hole he was on.
In the waning light he had hit his tee shot at the par-three 17th, featuring TPC Sawgrass' famous island green, to nine feet.
He calmly rolled it in to get to four-under for the day, 12-under for the tournament.
"I was rolling it pretty good here towards the end on the back nine," Lingmerth said. "Figured I might as well keep it going and try to make it."
Woods and Garcia, playing in the last group, opted to stop after teeing off on 15.
"I didn't want to play," Woods said. "I'm half asleep and really hungry."
Play had been halted for just under two hours when thunderstorms moved through the area earlier in the afternoon.
At that time, Stenson was the Swede in front, with Garcia and Woods in pursuit.
But Lingmerth, a 25-year-old who attended the University of Arkansas, put himself atop the leaderboard with an eagle at the par-five 16th.
He had showed resiliency early on, responding to two bogeys on the front nine with birdies and keeping himself in position to strike.
Stenson had seized the lead with three birdies on the front nine -- his third at the ninth coming after the weather delay.
But he gave back shots with bogeys at 11 and 15, ending his day by saving par at 16 in near-dark.
Overnight leader Garcia nabbed his first birdie of the day after the break, picking up a stroke at the ninth hole to get back to even par for the day after a bogey at the par-five second.
Garcia said in a television interview during the delay that he was distracted at the second when Woods pulled a club out of his bag just as the Spaniard was hitting his second shot.
"Well, obviously, Tiger was on the left, and it was my shot to hit," Garcia said. "He moved all the crowd that he needed to move. I waited for that ... you do have a feel when the other guy is going to hit, and right as I was in the top of my backswing, I think he must have pulled like a five-wood or a three-wood and, obviously, everybody started screaming.
"So that didn't help very much," Garcia said.
Woods got up-and-down for birdie from the right-greenside bunker at the same hole, but bogeyed the next. The world number one -- a three-time winner on the US tour this season -- parred the next 11 holes.
"It was a day of grinding," Woods said. "Some of these pins are such sucker pins. As hot as it was the ball was flying.
"The greens were slippery early on," Woods added, although he said after the rain they were more receptive.
"We could be a little more receptive this afternoon," he said.
US veteran Jeff Maggert was the leader in the clubhouse on nine-under 207 after a six-under 66 -- completed hours before play was halted for the day.
AFP
Sun May 12 2013
![Golf: David Lingmerth seize a two-stroke lead at the Players Championship Golf: David Lingmerth seize a two-stroke lead at the Players Championship](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-05/81368324730_295x200.jpg)
![Lelaki tolak isteri jatuh gaung didakwa esok Lelaki tolak isteri jatuh gaung didakwa esok](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/81723693423_TBTOLAKISTERI.jpg)
Lelaki tolak isteri jatuh gaung didakwa esok
Suspek kes pukul dan tolak isteri ke dalam gaung di Kilometer 31.2 Jalan Raya Timur Barat (JRTB) Gerik-Jeli dekat Gerik, Julai lalu akan didakwa di mahkamah pada Jumaat.
![KDNK suku kedua dijangka lebih baik, hasil positif ekonomi MADANI - Ahli ekonomi KDNK suku kedua dijangka lebih baik, hasil positif ekonomi MADANI - Ahli ekonomi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-04/71682503318_PEMANTAUANUDARAAPM.jpg)
KDNK suku kedua dijangka lebih baik, hasil positif ekonomi MADANI - Ahli ekonomi
Prestasi paling penting ialah peningkatan perbelanjaan isi rumah, disebabkan oleh keyakinan isi rumah yang semakin baik.
![Jenazah Nidza Afham dikebumi di Puncak Alam Jenazah Nidza Afham dikebumi di Puncak Alam](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/81723691432_NidzaAfham.jpg)
Jenazah Nidza Afham dikebumi di Puncak Alam
Solat jenazah akan diadakan di Masjid Puncak Alam sebelum dikebumikan di Tapak Perkuburan Felda Bukit Cherakah selepas solat Zohor hari ini.
![Ibu Menteri Besar Kedah meninggal dunia Ibu Menteri Besar Kedah meninggal dunia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/51723690075_ibumeninggalduni.jpg)
Ibu Menteri Besar Kedah meninggal dunia
Allahyarham Meriam Ahmad menghembuskan nafas terakhir pada usia 74 tahun di Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Alor Setar.
![Skuad bola tampar pantai Pulau Pinang berlatih di Songkhla Skuad bola tampar pantai Pulau Pinang berlatih di Songkhla](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/51723688922_bolatamparsukma.jpg)
Skuad bola tampar pantai Pulau Pinang berlatih di Songkhla
Pasukan bola tampar pantai Pulau Pinang di Pantai Samila, Songkhla selama lima hari sebagai persediaan menggalas cabaran membawa pulang pingat pada SUKMA 2024.
![Pemandu treler maut, nahas lima kenderaan di PLUS arah utara Pemandu treler maut, nahas lima kenderaan di PLUS arah utara](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/51723688542_KemalanganMaut.jpg)
Pemandu treler maut, nahas lima kenderaan di PLUS arah utara
Kemalangan melibatkan lima buah kenderaan termasuk tiga buah treler, sebuah lori satu tan dan sebuah MPV Toyota Vellfire.
Niaga AWANI: Jiwa SME: Kuih tradisonal sejuk beku 'diterbangkan' ke Tanah Suci
Inovasi pembuatan makanan sejuk beku, terutama kuih muih tradisional telah berjaya membawa produk itu ke peringkat global, terutama dalam memenuhi citarasa jemaah haji dan umrah rakyat Malaysia di Tanah Suci Mekah dan Madinah.
Global Financial Shifts: What emerging economies need to know
We're looking at recent shifts in the global financial scene. Today, we'll talk about how lower inflation and possible Fed rate cuts could impact investor confidence, global stability, and important sectors like tech and real estate. We'll also see how these changes might affect emerging economies like Malaysia, a key player in global trade. Let's break down these topics to understand what they mean for the future.
![MyJPJ rekod lebih RM28 juta transaksi dalam tempoh sebulan MyJPJ rekod lebih RM28 juta transaksi dalam tempoh sebulan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723687760_AedyFadlyRamli.jpg)
MyJPJ rekod lebih RM28 juta transaksi dalam tempoh sebulan
JPJ merekodkan kutipan lebih RM28 juta menerusi aplikasi MyJPJ bulan lepas iaitu sebulan selepas transaksi dalam talian diperkenalkan pada Jun.
Urban Redevelopment Act: A comprehensive solution or a temporary fix?
Datuk Chang Kim Loong, Secretary-General of the National House Buyers Association (HBA), will speak about tackling one of the most pressing urban issues of our time: the Urban Redevelopment Act. Is this legislation the comprehensive solution we’ve been waiting for to eradicate urban slums, or is it merely a temporary fix?