This has not been the inevitable Scottie Scheffler rampage through the field on Championship Sunday.

Instead, he's just dropped a shot at the eighth after leaving his chip out of the rough way short.

He's eight back with 10 to play. The three-peat isn't happening.

Image source, Getty Images

The sixth hole at TPC Sawgrass has been given a refresh from the past this year.

See that overhanging tree in front of the tee box? There was an oak tree there until it died and had to be taken out in 2014. This year, just because they're mean, the organisers went to extreme lengths to replant another beauty in that same spot.

It makes that tee shot ever so tricky.

Not that I've ever needed any help in cannoning a golf shot off a tree...

No birdie for Rory McIlroy on the fifth as he doesn't give his long putt enough juice - it was on a decent line if he'd hit it but it's a slippery little devil of a putt and he was not interested in blazing it through the line.

Another lengthy birdie attempt from Patrick Cantlay skids by the sixth hole and will be tidied back for par.

He stays at nine under, three off the lead.

After two bogeys in his opening three holes, Tommy Fleetwood has been moving along serenely. Birdies on the fifth and seventh wiped out those early drops but he's missed birdie putts from 10 feet and 13 feet on the ninth and 10th holes - seems a familiar story for the Southport-man.

Bob MacIntyre is back to five under with a birdie on the seventh. About as straightforward as they come. A 306-yard drive, 127-yard wedge and a six-foot birdie putt sees the Scotsman back to level par for his round.

It's a lethal green over at four and JJ Spaun is sizing up fully 60 feet of it.

He's controlled it nicely down the slope, tiddling his ball to four feet and saving par.

And it is another bogey on the card for Bud Cauley as he misses from six feet after almost rescuing his errant tee shot.

There's a wet slap on the ball as Rory McIlroy chops his ball out of some juicy Sawgrass rough having missed the bunker with his wayward drive.

And he's played it beautifully, accounting for the lack of spin and letting it run up the green to 20 feet or so.

Tom Hoge hits the turn in a four-under 32 to put him into the thick of things at eight under par.

The 35-year-old has come out of nowhere today but he's got the joint lowest score of the day going, tied with Shane Lowry who is also four under for eight holes after teeing off on the 10th.

England's Aaron Rai is enjoying the back nine so far. Birdies on the 10th and 11th have lifted him to five under for the tournament and he's in the middle of the fairway on the 12th with only 100 yards remaining for his second shot.

Too far back to challenge but he's three under for his round and a strong finish could see him flirt with the top 10.

Akshay Bhatia is about a half a roll short of landing another bnirdie on the fifth, as he gave his 25 footer a heck of a stroke as it tracked all the way begfore just running out of gas.

He means business today though does the 23-year-old.

That's an aggressive line off the fifth tee from Rory McIlroy - super aggressive in fact and his ball only just about carries the water.

Close call that one as McIlroy was anxious as he stared that down.

Oh grim for Bud Cauley as he completely shanks his tee shot at the fourth and ends up way off track and almost in the water.

He has to chip back to the fairway but he's in real danger of backing up his bogey at the third with another dropped shot.

Rory McIlroy is off target from the tee on the fourth but plays a nice recovery and then almost cans a long 20 footer for birdie.

It's the sixth hardest hole today so that's not a bad result given the tee shot - and McIlroy does look to have his eye in on the greens today as that was a great effort that was bang on line.

Alex Smalley shows this is a tough hole as he makes a second successive bogey to slip back to eight under, while Corey Conners also drops a shot here.

While Patrick Cantlay has not been spoken about at all so far this week, he is really in this tournament.

A hole or so ahead of the final groups, he can pile on the pressure.

He's just lined up a beautifully judged birdie putt from 38 feet and it's close to dropping but rolls a foot past.

He'll stay three back but ominously poised.

An undercooked putt from distance by JJ Spaun at the third leaves him another nerve-jangling five-and-a-half feet to save par.

In it goes. Good stroke from the leader to keep his nose in front.

Playing partner Bud Cauley isn't so accurate - he slips one back from a similar distance.

Keegan Bradley isn't going to win today, but he's turned in two under and is four under for the tournament after 10.

He's the USA Ryder Cup captain this year but is hovering around the qualification places and a big finish here will see him climb even higher, increasing the chances of him actually playing his way onto his own team!

Imagine that...

Akshay Bhatia has made a wonderful start as he picks up his third birdie of the day at the fourth and all of a sudden he's now just one back.

Tidy work from Rory McIlroy on the third, where a par three is just fine today thanks to a tough pin position.

Just get your three and move on here....

Chance missed for JJ Spaun at the second as he fluffs his line from eight feet.

That would have given him a nice cushion over Rory McIlroy but he'll head to the third still just one shot in front.

Meanwhile, Lucas Glover has slipped back with an untimely bogey after trouble off the tee.