JJ Spaun leads American charge to hold one-shot lead at TPC Sawgrass

Ten Americans sit inside the top 14, with world number 57 Spaun sitting one clear of Bud Cauley at 12 under.

JJ Spaun hits a chip shot on to the second green during the third round of The Players Championship — JJ Spaun holds a slender lead going into the final round at the Players Championship (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

JJ Spaun led the American charge at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass after a third-round 70 put him one stroke ahead of compatriot Bud Cauley.

World number 57 Spaun, joint-leader after shooting a six-under 66 in Thursday’s opening round, followed up Friday’s 68 with five birdies and three bogeys on Saturday to hold a slender advantage heading into the final day.

The 34-year-old Californian saved par on the final hole to stay ahead, sinking a 24-foot putt after a wayward second shot had left him in trouble to reach 12 under.

Cauley’s six-under-par 66, which included an eagle at the par-five ninth, seven birdies and three bogeys, catapulted him up 14 places into second at 11 under, two shots ahead of fellow Americans Lucas Glover and Alex Smalley.

Glover, who finished one under for the day, is tied in third place with Smalley, while another American, Akshay Bhatia, appeared on course to join them on nine under before he bogeyed the last to slip two places.

Rory McIlroy is tied with Bhatia in fifth place at eight under after finishing the third round with a 73.

The world number two, who shot a 67 and 68 in the first two rounds, was one under for the day after 11 holes but bogeyed three of the last seven holes before birdieing the last.

“I feel like I played better than I scored,” said McIlroy. “All the bogeys I made were really soft. I just need to chip and putt better tomorrow.

Rory McIlroy reacts after missing his birdie putt on the 15th (Chris O’Meara/AP)

“Not out of it by any means. The wind is supposed to still be blowing tomorrow, so it was nice to make a birdie on 18 just to get one closer to JJ.

“I just made a few too many mistakes around the greens and on the greens. If I can tidy that up tomorrow, I feel like I’ll have a really good chance.”

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is seven shots off the lead, tied in 16th place at five under par after carding a 72, alongside five other players, including Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who also finished level-par for the round.

The final round has been moved to an earlier start, with groups of three starting from the first and 10th tees, because of bad weather which is forecast to bring storms and heavy winds later in the day.