Day takes 3-shot lead before Players suspended

8:49 PM ET

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Jason Day finished with two big birdies as the sky darkened Friday to reach 14 under and stay in firm control of The Players Championship.

Day rolled in a 40-foot putt down the slope on the par-3 13th, and then hit a 5-iron into 2 feet on the next hole to stretch his lead to three shots over Shane Lowry on another day of low scoring at the TPC Sawgrass.

Greg Norman set the 36-hole record at The Players at 14-under 130 in 1994, the year the Shark made only one bogey the entire week. Day looks just as good and has yet to drop a shot over the 32 holes he has played.

A two-hour storm delay meant the second round could not be finished.

Editor’s PicksKnost bogeys final hole, ties Players record (63)

Colt Knost missed a 5-foot par putt on the 18th hole that would have set the Stadium Course record at TPC Sawgrass. Instead, his 63 tied the mark shared by five others.

“I’m at 14-under par, I’ve got a good lead going on, I just can’t sit back,” Day said. “I need to keep pushing forward. And the moment that I lose a little bit of focus and make a few mental errors and mistakes, that’s when I let the field back in. And I just can’t afford to do that.”

Lowry had a 68 and was at 11-under 133, a solid round that only got going when he hit a wedge so badly that it didn’t each reach the island green at the par-3 17th. He managed to escape with bogey, and then holed a wedge from about 180 yards on the 18th hole for eagle.

Two tough pars at the end of his round meant he was likely to be in the final group with Day.

Jordan Spieth was just hopeful of a Saturday tee time, as was Phil Mickelson.

Spieth, …

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