Lightning suspends play during final round at The Players

With the leaders midway through their final round Sunday, play was suspended at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., due to lightning in the area.

Heavy rain also started to fall in the final round, which saw starting times moved up and the bottom portion of the leaderboard forced to start their rounds on the 10th hole. The field also was playing in threesomes Sunday.

After trailing third-round leader J.J. Spaun by two strokes, Rory McIlroy moved into the lead Sunday by going 4-under par through his first 11 holes to reach 12 under for the tournament just before the horn sounded to suspend play.

McIlroy jumped from a tie for fifth place into the lead on the back of three birdies and an eagle 3 at the par-5 second hole. He had a bogey at the par-4 seventh hole.

Spaun was one shot behind McIlroy after he was 1 over through 10 holes.

McIlroy won the 2019 Players Championship and has finished in the top 10 four times in the tournament.

Bud Cauley, who was alone in second place overnight, was at 2 over through 10 holes and was at 9 under for the tournament.

Heavy rain arrived on schedule at just after 1 p.m. ET and was forecasted to be heavy through 5 p.m. before tapering off slightly by 7 p.m. Sunset is set for 7:34 p.m. on Sunday.

If the completion of the final round is delayed until Monday, the forecast calls for clear skies but with winds of up to 25 mph into the afternoon.

--Field Level Media