Jon Rahm has to shoot between a couple of trees after a wayward one off the tee on the 16th. He then goes to the rough so this would be a decent par if he can save it.

Bryson DeChambeau looks to the sky as his 15-footer for birdie stays right.

Can Tony Finau do any better from half that distance? Yes. He. Can. The American is knocking at the door at two under par.

But it's a bogey for the world number one. Dustin Johnson hits a delightful chip and run, the ball curling towards the hole but it does a little too much.

Interesting from Dustin Johnson. He tries to slide a tiny pebble out from under his ball.

"I think the ball oscilated but I don't really know," he tells the rules official. "I think it rocked. There was a rock by the ball. I don't know."

The referee calls the video review. It wasn't on camera is the reply.

But then, strangely, we get a replay of DJ cautiously trying to move the stone. The ball didn't appear to move. So it's game on.

It's his third shot to the 16th after hacking out of the deep stuff. 94 yards to the pin.He makes a pig's ear of it though, pulling up short of the green.

Phil Mickelson remains without a birdie since the second after pulling a putt just to the right of the hole.

It then gets even worse as he misses from close range and that's a bogey and his fourth dropped shot in three holes as his round continues to fall apart.

Jon Rahm, shooting up the slope at the 15th, also wastes an opportunity to shave one off of his score.

Finally something to cheer for Paul Casey as his first birdie of the day moves him to five over. Three holes to go for the trio.

Tony Finau arrows his second shot at the 16th in towards the flag, Birdie chance coming up.

What can Bryson DeChambeau do from the deep rough? Find the green, 15 feet to the right of the hole. That ball almost plugged on the green like you'd hit on a soggy October afternoon, not at a US Open. The blowers will be on tonight to try and dry the greens out.

Dustin Johnson wants a ruling. His ball is in a divot,

Rickie Rickie Rickie!

He's centre of the screen, standing over a six-footer to get to three under. But that's a nothing putt. The ball wanders off to the right of the hole. Perhaps that's why a major win eludes him.

Come on Rickie, make me eat my words.

Up next for the co-leader...

The lengthy, dogleg left 16th will likely play the toughest on the back nine. The left side of the hole is protected by trees, including a large maple short left of the green.

Image source, Getty Images

Bryson DeChambeau snakes a putt in a perfect 'S' shape but could have down with a little more curl in his finish. He read that well, but still leaves himself with work to do to make par.

The American crouches over it, Marcelo Bielsa style - someone get him a bucket - and loops it around the cup and down the plughole for par.

Dustin Johnson needs start making a move. Eleven feet for a birdie to kickstart his tournament, and he wriggles it in!

Jon Rahm, right on the edge of the green, has to play a bumpy putt attempt and it would've been very special indeed if he had nailed it for a birdie. He doesn't, but leaves it nine feet from the cup and takes it out at the next time of asking.

Playing partner Phil Mickelson is in grave danger of not playing on Saturday and Sunday as a double bogey sends him spiralling to six over. That came after a bogey at the 13th.

He's been second or tied second at six US Opens, but it doesn't look like he's going to get anywhere near that in 2020.

American Matthew Wolff has leapt up the leaderboard with three successive birdies.

I don't think the 20-year-old has any fear of playing in the majors. This is his first US Open and he qualified by tying for fourth in last month's US PGA Championship on his major-championship debut.

He is at four under with five to play.

"Go, go..." urges Tony Finau, helping his approach on to the green and watching it come to a halt several feet from the pin. A couple of late birdies to put himself in contention?

Thomas Pieters is one off the lead after a four-under 66 today.

When asked if he agreed that the course was playing a little easier than everyone had anticipated, he said: "I agree. I'm hitting approaches and I could stop the ball and spin some wedges which is nice.

"We said we need to take advantage of what we get now because it won't stay like this."

Like Rory McIlroy, he too has become a father recently, to a daughter, Florence. When asked how that had affected his game, he replied: "There's a little less practice but it's freed my mental game. I've been so perfectionist and angry on the golf course but I don't get upset any more."

Tony Finau has been ticking along nicely but the putter has let him down at times today, and he fails to convert a par-saver at 13.

Bryson DeChambeau is up there for a birdie chance, six to seven feet away, but he just flirts with the cup like it's a freshly blended protein shake and watches his ball stay up.

Phil Mickelson's opening two birdies seem a long time ago now. He's not had a birdie since and has just missed a chance on the 13th as he gets his angles wrong with an eight-footer.

As expected, Paul Casey, after a poor shot off the tee, drops another one - his sixth of the day. He's in danger of setting the worst score of the day, which currently stands at eight over.

But it's a par for Jon Rahm, who stays at two under.

11 players now at -2. Can any of those still playing get to -5?

-5 Thomas (F)

-4 Reed (F), Pieters (F)

-3 McIlroy (F), Wolff (12)

-2 Kokrak (F), Todd (F), English (F), Niemann (14), Westwood (15*), DeChambeau (13), Finau (13), Rahm (12), Fowler (12), Schauffele (12*), Langasque (11)

I think it's fair to say that Winged Foot has not played at its toughest today.

The US Open organisers have a sub-air system to help them out for tomorrow though. They can make this course a heck of a lot harder and you've got to think they will do, having seen the number of under par rounds today.

Thomas Pieters is the latest to post a red score. A fine four-under 66 after knocking in a nine-footer for birdie on the ninth, his last.

That second cut of rough is thick. Dustin Johnson makes light work of it at 14 by finding the back of the green, but he really needs to warm his putter up if he's going to recover today.

Bryson DeChambeau finds the fairway and then loops an approach into the heart of the smooth stuff.

Whisper it quietly, but England's Lee Westwood is still rolling along nicely. He's knocked in a par putt on the sixth, his 15th and he's two under with just three to play.

His compatriot Tommy Fleetwood is not faring quite so well. A bogey on the third, his 12th, has seen him slide out to four over.

That's the same as another Englishman, Matt Fitzpatrick. who also bogeyed the par-three third and then doubled the next.

A partially blind tee shot must be played over or around a bunker 260 yards from the tee. The green is elevated and slopes back left to front right and is well guarded by bunkers.

Image source, Getty Images

Xander Schauffele is a man many people expect to win a major sooner than later, and the Winged Foot set up might just suit his subtle touch.

The American is right in the mix heading towards the finish after notching his third birdie on the day, with the only blemish on his card a bogey at 17, having started at the 10th.