Rory McIlroy battling to remain in rivalry at The Players Championship amid sturdy winds

While Rory McIlroy was clinging to the fringes of contention at The Players Championship, Matt Fitzpatrick hijacked attention away from the course by dramatically splitting from his caddie Billy Foster on Sunday.

In a six-year partnership, the Yorkshire pair memorably won the 2022 US Open together, marking Foster’s first major success in a career spanning more than four decades.

But Foster has implied he paid the price for Fitzpatrick’s poor start to the season, culminating in his missed cut here. He is yet to finish higher than 22nd in six tournaments in 2025.

Announcing the parting on Instagram, Foster wrote: ‘After six great years all good things come to an end. This game never stops to frustrate you and infuriate you…!!!

‘Unfortunately times change and ultimately it is the caddie or the coach that has accept results are not good enough and when you stop enjoying what you are doing it is time for a change.

‘Thanks Matt. We had a great run and who knows where the next chapter will go. Onwards and upwards.’

Fitzpatrick has plummeted down the world rankings to 61st from a high of sixth, with his form a growing concern ahead of the Ryder Cup later in the year.

The end of their working relationship was appropriate for a turbulent day in Florida, where the 35mph winds wreaked havoc on the field.

McIlroy was emblematic of the difficulties, carding three birdies and four bogeys in a gritty 73 that left him four off the 12-under-par lead held by JJ Spaun. Bud Cauley, Lucas Glover, Alex Smalley, Corey Conners and Akshay Bhatia are among the less-known names to fill the prime spots – those marketing this tournament as the fifth major may be a little underwhelmed but their presence chimed with the wild nature of the third round.

For McIlroy, there will be relief that he salvaged a credible score from a loop when both his putter and driver were erratic.

Having made an excellent up-and-down from thick greenside rough at the second to hit 10 under, a three-putt at the fifth gave the shot back before he birdied the next with a recovery to seven feet from a fairway bunker. That was as good as it got, though, with bogeys at 12, 13 and 17 eventually balanced by his third birdie of the week on the 18th.

As with the opening round, and as a marked contrast to the second, it was McIlroy’s driving that was conspicuously wonky – he hit only four fairways. That wasn’t all down to the wind, even if it did bring carnage to the course.

The early starters had benefitted from calmer conditions, as shown by Conners and Danny Walker jumping 44 and 57 spots respectively on the leaderboard with matching rounds of 66.

As for the frontrunners, they were blown all over Florida, none more abruptly than Will Zalatoris, who briefly led on 11 under until he blew six shots across the 14th and 15th holes. He closed on two under after a brutal experience.

Scottie Scheffler will need an upturn in form if he is to claim a third straight win here after a 72 left him on five under. His temper erupted into a club toss on the 18th after he drilled his approach through the green – he could face a PGA Tour fine, as might Jordan Spieth for a similar tantrum after sliced into the water at 16.

Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele’s difficulties continued with a 77 – a missed two-footer at the last served as a neat summary for his season.

Sitting on four over par, the world No 3 was tied for 63rd and tracking towards his worst finish in more than two years as he continues his recovery from a rib injury.

He said: ‘I’ve never dealt with this before. So I’m going through it and need to figure it out. I’m not doing a great job of that, so I just (have to) keep checking my drawing board until something nice shows up.’