FUMING Jordan Spieth launched his club into the air after hitting the water during third round of the Players Championship. Spieth, 31, found the water on the 16th at TPC Sawgrass and hurled his club into the fairway in anger. Spieth was aiming to close the gap on leaders Akshay Bhatia and Min Woo Lee on a windy moving day in Florida. But that plan swiftly went up in tatters as Spieth battled the iconic course with the five birdies, just outbalancing the four bogeys through 15 holes. Then, the American couldn't believe his luck when he imploded at the 16th on the Stadium Course. After safely finding the middle of the fairway on the 515-yard par-5, Spieth attempted to find the waterside green in two. But his approach shot strayed right, flying 204 yards before coming up short in the water trap. After witnessing the splash, Spieth, who was sitting at four-under at the time, furiously spiralled with his club almost following his ball. The three-time major champion hurled his club in anger, whipping it through the air, leaving spectators shocked. Spieth has since attempted to clear up his angry outburst. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS The former Masters champion said: "I didn't mean to. I meant to hold on to it. "That's why it went so low and into the ground, and I feel bad, I tried to step on the turf and it wasn't a good move. "It's just a perfect series of events that just frustrates you so much. and you make the one mistake you can't and then I turn it to seven. "It was just a series of unfortunate events right in that little spell there and everyone's gonna have that somewhere around this golf course and those that get away with it are gonna be a lot happier." After benign weather over the first two days, the strengthening winds around TPC Sawgrass wreaked havoc with the later starters. Spieth's misery continued as hit a double-bogey seven, finding the left greenside bunker with his fourth shot after a penalty drop. That blunder saw him slide from four-under following his birdie at the 15th to two-under for the Players Championship. He headed into the clubhouse nine shots back of leaders Bhatia and Lee, who were just heading out onto the course. Spieth was sidelined from August, when he had surgery on his left wrist to repair a ruptured tendon sheath, until the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in late January. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy slipped four shots off the lead after a punishing back nine in blustery conditions during round three.