Former Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk rolled back the years to set up the chance to become the oldest winner in Players Championship history on a roller coaster final day at Sawgrass.
Furyk began the day five shots off the lead held by Spain's Jon Rahm and made the worst-possible start with a bogey on the first in cold, overcast conditions.
However, the 48-year-old rebounded immediately to eagle the par-five second and birdied the fifth, 10th and 11th to join Rahm in the lead on 14 under par, with Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Mexico's Abraham Ancer a shot off the lead.
48-year-old @jimfuryk is TIED FOR THE LEAD at @THEPLAYERSChamp!pic.twitter.com/VjRUnHBfv8 — Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) March 17, 2019
McIlroy and Fleetwood were both one over par for the front nine, with Fleetwood recording eight straight pars after three-putting the first and McIlroy following a double-bogey on the fourth with two birdies and a bogey.
Former world number one Tiger Woods had already completed a closing 69, his best round of the week, to end on six under par.
"My score didn't really indicate that going into the final day, but I was hitting the golf ball well," Woods said. "I'm frustrated at lipping more putts out than I think I have in a very long time. (It's) just one of those weeks where nothing really got rolling enough to get me going."
👀 @TigerWoods is at it again. pic.twitter.com/fYo6yI3Xmm — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 17, 2019
Woods will now have a week off before contesting the WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin, where he could play up to seven matches in a five-day span.
"I've got a week off after that," said Woods, who withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a neck injury. "I'm hoping that I can play all the matches. That would be great."
Speaking about his preparations for the Masters at Augusta National, Woods added: "It's right on track. I'm able to shape the ball both ways, which I'm going to need there. I just need a few more putts to go in, but that's it."
ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Phil Casey, Press Association Sport Golf Correspondent');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', 'd931bf86-15e2-4d45-83c4-6f8e0a605fbc');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:uk,paservice:sport:world');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:golf,sport:other');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Jim Furyk hoping to make history at Players Championship'});
