The Players Championship 2026 Leaderboard: Ludvig Åberg Leads at -12, Tees Off With Schauffele at 2:35 PM ET in Round 3
Moving Day is underway at TPC Sawgrass. Ludvig Åberg enters Round 3 as the clear 36-hole leader at 12-under par after his stunning 9-under 63 on Friday — one of the best rounds in Players Championship history. Xander Schauffele is two back at 10-under, Cameron Young sits at 9-under, and the entire leaderboard is loaded. The final pairing of Åberg and Schauffele tee off at 2:35 PM ET.
Players Championship 2026 Leaderboard: Round 3 Starting Positions
Sweden's Ludvig Åberg sits atop the leaderboard at 12-under, with Americans Xander Schauffele at 10-under and Cameron Young at 9-under trailing closely behind. Justin Thomas is also firmly in the mix at 8-under.
Among those inside the top 10 on the leaderboard are Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, and Russell Henley, who entered TPC Sawgrass as one of the betting favorites.
| Position | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ludvig Åberg ?? | -12 |
| 2 | Xander Schauffele | -10 |
| 3 | Cameron Young | -9 |
| T4 | Justin Thomas | -8 |
| T4 | Tommy Fleetwood | -8 |
| T6 | Viktor Hovland | -7 |
| T6 | Russell Henley | -7 |
| T6 | Corey Conners | -7 |
| T6 | Sepp Straka | -7 |
| CUT | Scottie Scheffler | +1 |
| CUT | Rory McIlroy | +1 |
Åberg's Friday 63: Two Chip-In Eagles, Front Nine 29
Åberg raced out of the blocks on Friday, making two chip-in eagles and three birdies on his front nine to make the turn in just 29 strokes — tying the nine-hole TPC Sawgrass record. The 26-year-old registered three more birdies and one bogey on his back nine to card a stunning 9-under 63 to reach 12-under par overall.
Scheffler and McIlroy Both Made the Cut — At 1-Over
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will both play the weekend after making the cut at 1-over par. Both superstars are 13 shots back of the leader and face an almost impossible mountain to climb. McIlroy's bid for a third Players title — which would equal Jack Nicklaus's record alongside Scheffler's two — appears effectively over for another year. Scheffler's remarkable consecutive cuts streak survived a close call but his title chances are minimal from this position.
Jordan Spieth Making Noise — Tees Off at 12:25 PM ET
Jordan Spieth will tee off for Round 3 at 12:25 PM ET. He'll head into Saturday's third round at TPC Sawgrass with designs on a huge comeback victory to cement his hot start to the 2026 season.
Murder Investigation at TPC Sawgrass: Police on Site Saturday
A murder investigation has led police through the Players Championship site at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday morning. Details remain limited but the development is extraordinary — law enforcement activity on the grounds of one of golf's premier events on Moving Day.
Round 3 Tee Times: Final Pairing at 2:35 PM ET
The final pairing will feature leader Ludvig Åberg at 12-under and Xander Schauffele. They tee off at 2:35 PM ET. The players at the bottom of the leaderboard opened Saturday's play at 8:15 AM ET.
How to Watch The Players Championship Round 3 Today
You can watch Saturday's third round from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM ET on NBC. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ provides exclusive early Saturday streaming coverage starting at 8:00 AM ET, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage. Peacock provides streaming coverage of NBC's Saturday broadcast.
The Players Championship final round is Sunday, March 15 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, beginning at 1:00 PM ET on NBC. The winner takes home $4.5 million from the record $25 million purse.
