The weather-hit Players Championship could finish on a Tuesday for the first time ever in its 40 year history.

Sawgrass was ravaged by thunderstorms, so Gary Young, the chief referee, admitted that a Monday end was almost certain and that there is "the potential for going into Tuesday."

One spectator, however, saw the funny side of belly-sliding at the 17th hole in the downpour.

Seven times, seven times the Players have finished on Mondays in the past, with the last one in 2005. It has never been extended for 48 hours.

After his weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Rory McIlroy's woes continue.

McIlroy was bright when the storms subsided enough to allow for four hours of play yesterday.

After only two holes on Day One, he started bogey/birdie. This time, he opened with birdies at the third and fourth holes, to race to two under par.

Instead of firing a scorching 65 in the Bay Hill round to establish a two shot lead at Bay Hill, he fell into the Ropey Rory and shot 76-76 to slip into the pack.

At the sixth, he gave a shot back, and further bogeys were at ten, 14 and 14. He fell to one over par and a share in 97th, seven shots behind pace-setters Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Hoge.

This was especially difficult to do given McIlroy’s reputation for being a mud-lover.

Four-time Major winner, he has the ability to throw darts at the rain-soaked greens and the ball is dying in fairways.

McIlroy was baffled when the hooter rang at 11.15 local. He asked, "Why are we stopping?"

He should have known from the rain that he was getting in his boots.

Young stated that Jacksonville was experiencing unusual conditions. The questions about the wisdom of moving such an important event back to March, three years ago, from mid-May three year ago, inevitably came back to light.

He stated that it was highly unusual for such a pattern to occur over such a long period of time at this time of the year, looking at historical data. It's bad luck at this stage.

"We have received approximately 2 1/2 inches of rain in the past 24 hours. We fought through some very difficult conditions.

"The staff did an excellent job of keeping up with greens as much we could, squeegeeing and trying to manage play through some really tough cells that we were faced with.

"Unfortunately, there is no window of opportunity ahead of the weather front we are moving into now. There is some lightning heading in this direction.

We knew it would be a time when we just couldn't keep up. We will have to endure the unplayability of the golf course.

"If there is a window of opportunity, we would consider getting back out there. We have to make sure that the players are available in case of an opportunity.

The 46 players could not have been happier to be able to watch the water flood fairways and greens at Sawgrass despite the sub air system.