PGA Tour pro's outrageously clever drop allowed him to take advantage of golf rules at The Players

PGA Tour pro J.J. Spaun took full advantage of the rules of golf during a sticky situation in the final round of The Players Championship at famed TPC Sawgrass.

Spaun, 34, got full relief from what appeared to be a brutal lie in the right rough on the par-5 9th hole.

The American sprayed his second shot into the deep stuff as he made his way to the turn.

But thankfully for Spaun, he found himself standing on a sprinkler head when he got up to his ball. 

When he took his relief from there, Spaun then decided to purposely drop his ball onto another sprinkler head. 

This then afforded Spaun further relief from there, and he was therefore able to take a second club length away from the rough and give himself a perfect lie in the fairway.

Spaun took full advantage from the ruling as he went on to get up and down for birdie to move within one shot of leader Rory McIlroy at the time. 

Phil Mickelson's former long-time caddie Jim 'Bones' Mackay, who is now acting as an on-course reporter, revealed exactly what happened. 

"It was fascinating," said Bones. 

"J.J. got up there and his ball was in a horrible lie and he was standing on a sprinkler, but he was still nowhere near the fairway, so he took relief and within that club length was another sprinkler, so he intentionally dropped it in the sprinkler and he got another club length from there and got himself into the fairway."

Take a closer look at what happened below: 

Spaun is going in search of a second PGA Tour title and his first since the 2022 Valero Texas Open.

McIlroy is currently leading the way as the leaders make their way into the back nine at the 2025 Players Championshjp.

McIlroy is attempting to win his second Players title having won his first in 2019. 

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