Lucas Glover, JJ Spaun and Camilo Villegas lead by one at TPC Sawgrass

Lucas Glover, JJ Spaun and Camilo Villegas share a one-shot lead heading into the second day of the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

Glover produced a blistering finish on Thursday to set the early clubhouse target, birdieing the last four holes to card a six-under-par 66.

The American, whose closing salvo included a birdie from 18 feet on the famous par-three 17th, said: “On 15 I had a great number (to the pin), so that was a green light.

“Sixteen, if you hit it in the fairway you feel like you should make a four and I drew a good lie in the rough left of the green. On 17 I happened to know a putt from years past hitting it there and over-reading it.

“Then 18, wind switched, I had help all of a sudden. It was an eight-iron number and ended up hitting nine. Then gravity kind of took over for me and pulled it down there to the left, which it does to that hole location if you just get the right number.

“That’s the thing about this place is there’s always some really good scores and always some really bad scores. The margins are razor thin here, akin to say Augusta or Bay Hill. You get off just a little, you can make big numbers in a hurry.

“So I happened to have a bunch of good numbers today and a bunch of good yardages and was able to be aggressive and I putted great. But any time you get off to a good start it gives you confidence.”

By the time play was suspended due to darkness, Glover’s score was matched by Spaun and Villegas, with the trio narrowly ahead of six players on five under, including Rory McIlroy.

The Northern Irishman enjoyed a strong outing to open his tournament, splitting seven birdies – including four in a row at the turn – with two bogeys.

England’s Aaron Rai and Laurie Canter are both a shot further back on four under, with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre carding a three under 69.