Rory McIlroy at Players Championship 2016: Saturday Leaderboard Score, Reaction

The world's No. 3 golfer, Rory McIlroy, crashed out of the running at The Players Championship after a disastrous back nine resulted in a three-over 75 for Saturday's third round. He sits at five under overall for the tournament, which dropped him out of the top 10.

McIlroy went four over on his last nine holes of the day, which was only the second time in 15 rounds at TPC Sawgrass that he has shot over par on the back nine, according to the NBC telecast.

The course handed out a ton of low-scoring rounds throughout the first two days of the tournament. But Saturday was not the same, and McIlroy, like most of the field, suffered as his Saturday score fell short of his eight-under from Friday.

His day started well enough with a birdie on No. 1 as he sunk a 10-foot putt. But that was one of the only intricate greens that cooperated with McIlroy on Saturday.

He bogeyed No. 4 thanks to a three-putt, missing chances within 11 and three feet. His second putt, which was just two feet, three inches from the hole, wound up five inches short.

A birdie on No. 7, though, put McIlroy back at one under on the day before Sawgrass' greens began to take a toll on him.

McIlroy turned onto the back nine just three strokes off the lead, but he bogeyed Nos. 10, 12 and 13. On each occasion, he three-putted his way to the hole.

His strokes-gained numbers suffered as he put up a mark of minus-0.925 on the greens, well below the PGA Tour average of minus-0.015.

Things got even worse with a double bogey on No. 15, where his drive and second shot found the fairway bunkers on the par-four hole. He didn't even reach the green until his fourth shot before missing a nine-foot putt for bogey.

He pulled one stroke back thanks to a birdie on the par-five No. 16, which a monster 345-yard drive set up. He was on the green by his third shot, which was a putt attempt from more than 25 feet out that settled just 19 inches from the hole.

Had his putting been better, he could have challenged leader Jason Day at the top, per Golf Channel's Justin Ray:

On the famed No. 17 island green, McIlroy avoided the water but didn't leave himself much room for error with his first shot coming down 60 feet, six inches away from the hole. However, he masterfully navigated the sweeping green and put his first putt attempt less than three feet from the hole to save par. 

At the time of his finish, McIlroy was eight strokes behind Day, which is probably too much to overcome Sunday.

If the course is laid out like it had been Thursday or Friday, there might be a chance for a miraculous comeback. But with the difficulties TPC Sawgrass provided its golfers Saturday, low scores will probably be at a premium in the final round as well.

Stats courtesy of PGATour.com.