Maverick McNealy is playing his second on the second out of a sandy patch of dirt the other side of the cart path after wellying his tee shot miles right.

He recovers beautifully to find the green and then takes two putts to save his par.

His playing partner Alex Smalley, finds the rough, a greenside bunker and is unable to match Maverick's heroics, meaning it's a bogey, bogey start.

We've seen this movie before with Scottie Scheffler as his putter is playing up again - his one main Achilles heel really, and who knows how many more tournaments and major he'd have won with a better flat stick.

This time he misses from three feet for par to end up with a bogey and slip back to two under.

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Jon Rahm remains in the zone, finding the 10th green in regulation and hitting a lovely tracking putt that just falls away at the last second - so close to taking the solo lead.

But he looks in total control of his game right now.

Cam Young and Justin Thomas both airmail the fourth green and it proves costly.

JT completely duffs his chip back on and while Young does clip to seven feet he then fails to salvage his par, like his playing partner.

They then both bounce back superbly with birdies on the par-three fifth, with Young rattling in a putt from nearly 40 feet.

Only 136 yards in for Rory McIlroy at 18 but a terrible lie in the rough and he can only hack it up to 30 yards short of the green.

He plays a bump and run and chases the ball up the left side of the green. It feeds back but he's left himself an eight-footer for par.

And he gets it! Great putt and he avoids a bogey-bogey finish.

That's a 66 for the Masters champion, one better than yesterday. He will sit back and hope the wind picks up for the final pairings out there.

He's done brilliantly over the last two days to thrust himself into the conversation.

After an early bogey Ludvig Aberg picks up two birdies as he heads down the ninth still well in touch.

Watch out for a back nine surge by the Swede...

Aldrich Potgieter briefly grabs a share of the lead with birdie at the second hole - sliding in a putt from just under 10 feet following a brilliant iron.

However, the 21-year-old South African is back to three under on the next hole after a wayward tee shot leaves him chasing his tail.

Two pars each for these two, with still that 30-foot bomb just pulling up an inch short on the first by Chris Gotterup the closest they've come to a birdie.

Pretty solid from both though.

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England's Matt Fitzpatrick just hasn't got anything going at all and heads into the clubhouse after signing for a one-over 71.

Back-to-back bogeys on the 17th and 18th will hardly help his mood this evening.

Sheffield's Fitzpatrick came into this tournament as arguably the best-placed player to end a 107-year wait for an English winner at the US PGA Championship.

Jim Barnes was the first and last, claiming victory at the first two tournaments in 1916 and 1919.

However, he has simply failed to spark.

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Scottie Scheffler makes his first birdie of the day after driving it up just off the front of the sixth green, he gets down in two to improve to three under.

David Puig matches the three thanks to a brilliant bunker shot as the Spaniard gets back to where he started the day - and that's a nice response as he's now made two straight birdies after earlier carding consecutive bogeys.

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Xander Schauffele is back on the birdie trail with two holes to play.

The American comes up six foot short of a monster putt for eagle at the par-five 15th before rolling in for a birdie.

A tip of the cap and nod to the crowd from Xander. He's going to be there or thereabouts by the looks of things.

Out with the big stick at 18, Rory McIlroy flies the bunkers down the right-hand side of the fairway but his ball gets caught up in the rough.

Far from ideal.

A very nervy start from Alex Smalley, who larrups his opening drive towards the trees down the right and finds himself in the rough.

He follows that with a decent recovery to find the dance floor but is then way too heavy handed with his putter, shovelling a birdie effort, nine feet past. It results in a bogey and an immediate set back.

Maverick McNealy takes a more measure approach finding the left side of the fairway and green with no bother. He then rolls up towards the cup before tidying up to take a par.

Jon Rahm plays the ninth hole perfectly, hitting the green in two then hitting a superb lag putt up to within a couple of feet to make his birdie four and join the leading group on four under.

It's been a brilliant front nine by the Spaniard as he's barely put a foot wrong, making three birdies with no bogeys and several other chances to pick up shots.

The two-time major champion is looking strong.

After that poor attempt out of the bunker, Rory McIlroy chips up to beside the hole and taps in for bogey.

His second dropped shot of the day - and it comes at a bad time. He slips out of the joint lead.

Germany's Matti Schmid is making a run as he's currently four under for the day and three under for the tournament after back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th.

Five holes played and five pars so far for world number one Scottie Scheffler - and with the start being the easiest stretch on the golf course today that's not so good.

Five of the first six holes rank in the easiest seven at Aronimink, so Scheffler will really want a birdie at the sixth now - he's made a great start with a stunning drive to the front of the green.

Rory McIlroy tries to get cute with his bunker shot from the plugged lie and he barely advances it out of the trap.

It nestles into the rough between sand and green and he's got his work cut out for bogey now.

Cam Young drains a 20-foot putt to get back to where he started the day.

Meanwhile his playing partner does the formalities in a four-foot putt to jump up into a tie for fifth, one stroke off the lead, albeit there are currently 13 players at either four or three under.

A familiar congestion problem at this year's US PGA Championship.