SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FORCES SUSPENSION OF PLAY AT SAWGRASS

FROM THE TOURNAMENT PLAYERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
WEBSITE 
 
UPDATE II: Play resumed at 5:57 p.m (Florida time).
 
UPDATE: The threat of severe weather has subsided and tournament officials have announced that play will resume at 6 p.m. ET. The range will open at 5:25 p.m.
 
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida -- A band of approaching thunderstorms and lightning in the area has prompted US PGA Tour officials to suspend play during Saturday's third round of THE PLAYERS Championship.
The horn sounded at 4:09 p.m. Florida time with the final group of Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods playing the seventh hole. Players are being taken back to the clubhouse, which means it could be a significant delay.
"A line of thunderstorms storms popped up with the afternoon heat," Vice President of Rules Mark Russell said. "We knew this was coming, and we're hopeful we can get players back on the golf course but we're going to be down a while."
Added PGA TOUR meteorologist Wade Stetner: "There's a line of thunderstorms coming through and there's a system behaind that as well. This is only an estimate, but we're looking at 2 hours or more."
Henrik Stenson, the 2009 PLAYERS champ, is the current leader at 11 under. He is 2 under on his round, having just hit his tee shot at the ninth hole before the horn blew.
Garcia and Woods are at 10 under and tied for second.
Jeff Maggert is the clubhouse leader at 9 under after shooting a 6-under 66 on Saturday.
Saturday's forecast had called for a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with the highest possibility between 2-6 p.m. ET. A similar forecast exists for Sunday.
This is the second rain delay since THE PLAYERS was moved from March to May.
St. John's County, which is where Ponte Vedra Beach is located, is under a severe thunderstorm warning until 5 p.m. The main threats are lightning, downpours and wind gusts between 50-60 mph.
Check out the contenders

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
The top three players on the leaderboard during the rain-delayed third round of THE PLAYERS Championship all know what it takes to win at TPC Sawgrass.
Henrik Stenson, who won in 2009, is 11 under and one stroke ahead of the 2008 champ, Sergio Garcia, and Tiger Woods, the 2001 winner. While we wait out the weather, let's take a look at the contenders:
Stenson: He just hit his drive at No. 9. He's playing very well, making birdies on the fourth and sixth holes and the Swede hasn't made a bogey in his last 17.
Garcia: He's hit five fairways and five greens on Saturday but he's already used 10 putts in six holes. He lost the lead when he sent his second shot well right into the trees at the par-5 second hole on the way to a bogey.
Woods: He drove left into the trees on the second hole but recovered better that Garcia and made a 9-footer for birdie that briefly gave him the lead alone. He fell back to 10 under, though, with a three-putt bogey at No. 3 where he missed a 4-footer to save par.
Jeff Maggert: The 49-year-old was likely headed to his hotel room when play was called after posting a solid 66 that could have been better had it not been for a bogey at the 18th hole. He's 9 under and should be well-rested for the final round. He's finished third at THE PLAYERS twice during his career.
Marc Leishman: The Aussie, who has top-10s in his last two starts, including a tie for fourth at the Masters, returns to a 46-foot eagle putt at the 11th hole. He birdied three of his first four holes to jump up the leaderboard and is tied with Maggert.
David Lingmerth: The PGA TOUR rookie has yet to tee off at the 10th hole. He's only hit three fairways but managed to find seven of nine greens while making three birdies and two bogeys on the front nine.

Maggert turns back the clock

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Eight years ago, Fred Funk made history by becoming the oldest player to win THE PLAYERS Championship at 48 years, 9 months and 14 days.
Sunday, Jeff Maggert has a chance to eclipse that.
Maggert, who turned 49 on Feb. 20 of this year, shot a 6-under 66 Saturday, coming within one of matching his career-low at TPC Sawgrass.
He'll enter Sunday within reach of the lead at 9 under with 18 holes to go.
Asked what his expectations were coming into the week, Maggert joked, "To make the cut."
"I'm still very competitive on the inside and want to play well every week, but it's just tough, just trying to keep it together and keep your health in good shape," he continued. "One week my wrist hurts, the next week my shoulder hurts, so I'm working my way through it."
Maggert came into this week without so much as a top 25 on his resume this season, and he'd broken 70 just once in his last 24 rounds.
Saturday, however, he was spectacular, going out in 31 and charging up the leaderboard after five birdies in a seven-hole stretch on the front nine.
Maggert added two more on Nos. 10 and 16 before making his lone bogey of the day on the final hole, where he missed the green left then hit his bunker shot across the green.
He also needed just 22 putts.
In 19 previous appearances in THE PLAYERS, Maggert has just two top 10s -- both third-place finishes in 1994 and 2000. His best career score here was a 65 in the opening round in 1994.
Can he see himself winning?
"That's why I'm here," said Maggert, who came into the week fourth in driving accuracy and 40th in greens in regulation. "We've still got that in our blood. This course in particular probably really suits my style of game at this point in my career. I feel I can come out and hit the ball well and shoot a good score."