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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLudvig Aberg of Sweden reacts after a birdie on the ninth green during the third round of The Players Championship golf tournament Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo\/Gerald Herbert)<\/p>\n
Aberg still managed a 1-under 71 thanks largely to his third eagle of the week with an 18-foot putt on the par-5 11th. He was three shots clear of Michael Thorbjornsen, a rival in college and now a neighbor in the Ponte Vedra Beach area.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely would have loved to come out of 16 and 17 with at least one birdie, and then obviously the three-putt on 18 kind of stings, annoys me a little bit,\u201d Aberg said. \u201cBut overall, I started the day with a two-shot lead and ended with a three, so that\u2019s a positive.\u201d<\/p>\n
If nothing else it was reminder nothing comes easily on the TPC Sawgrass even when it looks that way, and the final 18 holes isn\u2019t always a sprint to the finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all about executing,\u201d Aberg said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to get punished if you don\u2019t, which is a fun way to play golf.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fun?<\/p>\n
Aberg smiled and mouthed the word, \u201cFun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aberg was at 13-under 203 and will be in the final group with Thorbjornsen, who also took up shop at the TPC Sawgrass when he got out of college. They are friends who play often, just as they did as two of the most elite college players. Both were No. 1 in the PGA Tour University ranking in consecutive years to earn PGA Tour cards.<\/p>\n
Thorbjornsen made up ground with a 67 to land in the final group as he tries to become only the third player \u2014 and first since Craig Perks in 2002 \u2014 to win The Players in his first try.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I have to change too much, especially on courses like this,\u201d Thorbjornsen said. \u201cI think if you play some really steady golf you\u2019ll run into some birdies. Does anyone have a bogey-free round either yesterday or today? I\u2019m not too sure, but there aren\u2019t many. So I think slow and steady wins the race, and we\u2019re just going to play some solid golf.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cameron Young was Aberg\u2019s biggest threat on the back nine, holing a 45-foot birdie putt on the par-3 13th and getting away with a wedge he hit a little heavy on the par-3 17th. It settled inside 2 feet away, the closest shot of the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was trying to land it 133 and I fatted it just a little bit and it went to a foot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Two shots behind going to the 18th, the closing hole ate him up. Young tugged his drive just enough that it barely found the water down the left side. He pushed his third shot into the nasty, rough-covered moguls and chipped through the firm, fast green into a bunker. But he holed an 8-foot putt for double bogey and escaped with a 72 to leave him four shots behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cost myself two off the tee and I saved myself one with the putter,\u201d he said of the 8-footer he made. \u201cSo it could have been worse. I drew a terrible lie right of the green, somewhere that it feels like you should have a decent chance to get up-and-down. Saved myself one with the putter is what I\u2019m going to take away from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Big blunders cost so many others.<\/p>\n