Early Saturday morning, tournament officials delayed opening the gates to fans until 9 a.m. ET after a police search for a murder suspect led authorities to TPC Sawgrass, home of this week’s Players Championship.
According to News4Jax, a double murder occurred near Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and police tracked the main suspect to the TPC Sawgrass property.
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Police said the suspect stole a BMW and fled to the far northeastern corner of the state, where he crashed the car in a forest and fled on foot, but was eventually captured and is currently in custody.
Here’s what you need to know:
Police searched for murder suspect at TPC Sawgrass ahead of Saturday’s round
Early Saturday morning, The Players Championship’s official X account posted a message saying fans would have to wait longer than expected to get through the gates Saturday morning.
The release said the delay was due to “operational” considerations.
“Due to operational considerations, gates for today’s third round will open at 9 a.m. ET. Tee times will remain as previously scheduled and all hospitality venues on the course will open at 11 a.m. ET.”
A police statement provided further details about the delay.
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Police say two people were shot in the Walgreens parking lot at the corner of Palm Valley Road in Ponte Vedra on Friday night, according to JaxNews4. Police responded to “multiple 911 calls” reporting shots fired around 10:30 p.m. ET.
The suspect reportedly fled the scene to nearby TPC Sawgrass, where The Players Championship will be held this week.
“Detectives identified the suspect early in the investigation after Christian Barrios, 32, and a dog unit tracked him to the PGA Tour property at TPC Sawgrass,” St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick told News4Jax.
Authorities also told News4Jax that the suspect “made contact with PGA staff, picked up a radio, and may have touched other items before leaving the area.”
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After a delay, the gates officially opened to fans at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday. Late Saturday morning, police announced that the suspect was arrested in Nassau County at 8 a.m. ET.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
TPC Sawgrass appeared first on Golf via the Players Championship site, police said in the investigation following the murder.
