This is ugly - Viktor Hovland sees his chip from off the front of the 12th green come rolling back down the big slope right back to his toes - twice!

It's a tough shot alright but after the first go you'd think Hovland would play safe and go long, but he tries again - with the same result.

And credit to him I suppose, he tries to get it close with his third attempt, and almost holes it! He's left just a tap-in but it's cost him a double bogey.

And just like that Aaron Rai is back to where he started.

Really nice fightback from the Englishman whose second straight birdie returns him to four under par and a share of third.

A nervy start shall we say for Jhonattan Vegas as he finds two bunkers but manages to escape with a par thanks to a solid 11 foot putt.

He keeps his two-shot lead and can get into the round now.

Some responses we've had about mud balls - with these readers all supporting preferred lies and saying mud balls should not be allowed.

Do you agree?

Prolific LIV winner Joaquin Niemann tends to come into these majors with a lot of fanfare but, before this week, has a best finish of a tie for 16th across any of golf's four biggest events.

He is on a heater so far today. Four birdies in six holes has catapulted him up the leaderboard and into the red numbers.

Max Homa has had some almighty struggles with his game, but has he finally found something? He's the hottest player at Quail Hollow right now as he's five under for his first six holes with three birdies and an eagle.

He's done well around here before so maybe it's the course, but this is much more like the old Max Homa now.

Gavin Andrews
BBC Sport NI at Quail Hollow

Rounds have been taking well over five hours at Quail Hollow so fuel is important for the players.

Meet the wall of donuts.

A mixed start for Ludvig Aberg as he follows an early birdie with a bogey to slip back to one under - pretty similar to his golf yesterday which had smattering of good stuff but some puzzling errors too.

It's a tough chip from the side of the water for Tyrrell Hatton, and he leaves himself too much to do to save par so it's a hugely disappointing bogey on a short par four that's very gettable today.

From Venezuela, Jhonattan is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour including back-to-back titles at the RBC Canadian Open in 2016 and 17.

After a lean spell and some injuries, Vegas secured his first PGA Tour win in seven years at the 2024 3M Open, so knows how to get over the line.

He's not had much joy in the majors though - he didn't play in any during 2023 and 2024 but returned at this year's Masters, where he missed the cut.

That's been a theme as he's made just six cuts in 16 majors played, with a best finish of T22 at the 2016 US PGA Championship, so this is unchartered territory really.

A decent start from both of these, with Bryson DeChambeau picking up a shot on the 10th and then Viktor Hovland answering with a birdie of his own on 11th, with this group starting today playing the back nine first.

Image source, Getty Images

Surprise first-round leader Jhonattan Vegas on how he found his way into golf as a young kid in Venezuela:

"My dad grew up near a golf course, and he kind of grew up caddying at that place as a little kid. He picked up the game that way.

"When he had us, we grew up near a nine-hole golf course owned by the oil companies, and we had access to a course and plus the love of my dad for the game, put it together and we started playing.

"Obviously Venezuelans, we're not known for being golfers. But like I said, I've been blessed, and here I am.

"As a kid, I would hit anything that I could find. Rocks, broomstick, everything. I would grab anything that I could swing and I would do it. Feel like I was a good athlete as a young kid, so that's kind of how things started."

In the run-up to this tournament, we spoke to University of Texas coach John Fields about one of his former students, Jordan Spieth who in theory could complete the career Grand Slam with a win this week.

Spieth is out on the course but has work to do to make the weekend.

So which Uni of Texas alumni doing the best? Surely the world's number one Scottie Scheffler?

Nope, it's Jhonatthan Vegas who is flying the Texas flag.

Will he still be the top golfer by end of play on day two?

Image source, Getty Images

From round one yesterday, here's the hardest holes on the course, with the Green Mile of 16, 17 and 18 among the most difficult and showing just what a tough finish it is.

It's not an easy start to Quail Hollow either though, with the first hole the third toughest on the course and even the ninth ranked right up there as well meaning you can't relax at the turn. Brutal.

Hardest holes on the course (R1 ranks)

• 1 - 16th
• 2 - 17th
• 3 - 1st
• T4 - 9th
• T4 - 18th

That's more like it from Aaron Rai, tucking home a birdie to get his round facing the right way again.

Back up to three under par and four off the lead.

Image source, Getty Images

The 2020 US PGA champion Collin Morikawa didn't generate too much excitement yesterday but should never be slept on.

Over at the 12th, his third, he's quietly moved to three under par after producing one of those mesmerising iron shots he makes look so easy.

Oh no! Tyrrell Hatton has a crack at the short par-four 14th but he's just ever so slightly off with his line, with the ball just taking a bounce and diving into the water on the left of the green.

He'll get a drop right up there though and still has a chip and a putt for a par, so will hope it doesn't cost him a shot.

Image source, Getty Images

It's been all the talk at Quail Hollow after Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler suffered extreme consequences of having mud on their golf balls when making double bogeys on the same hole yesterday.

We've heard from both men, who both think players should have preferred lies - being able to clean the mud off golf balls if on the fairway - with Schauffele warning they'll only get worse.

The PGA of America have ruled it out, but what do you think?

Should players have preferred lies or should the best players in the world just deal with it?

Let us know with your thumbs, messages and our poll at the top of this page.

Get the full story on mud balls at the US PGA.

Image source, Getty Images

Xander Schauffele warned that the mud balls will get worse at Quail Hollow:

"The mud balls are going to get worse. That wasn't your question, but they're going to get worse as the plays dries up. They're going to get in that perfect cake zone to where it's kind of muddy underneath and then picking up mud on the way through.

"I mean, you just keep -- I don't know, maybe it hit it a little bit lower off the tee, but then unfortunately the problem with hitting it low off the tee is the ball doesn't carry or roll anywhere, so then you sacrifice distance.

"It's a bit of a crapshoot."

Image source, Getty Images

Scottie Scheffler on the lack of preferred lies at Quail Hollow after his mud ball incident:

"It's one of those deals where it's frustrating to hit the ball in the middle of the fairway and get mud on it and have no idea where it's going to go. I understand it's part of the game, but there's nothing more frustrating for a player.

"You spend your whole life trying to learn how to control a golf ball, and due to a rules decision all of a sudden you have absolutely no control over where that golf ball goes.

"But I don't make the rules. I just have to deal with the consequences of those rules. I did a good job of battling back today and not letting a bad break like that, which cost me a couple shots, get to me."