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The driveable par-four 14th is a great scoring chance at Quail Hollow, even yielding some eagles this week.

Rory McIlroy is pin-high off the tee and just off the green - he gets up and down for a three, moving him back to level par for the tournament.

That ricochet off a spectator by the 11th green left Jon Rahm with a long up and down for par - and the Spaniard was unable to manage it.

Birdie. Par. Eagle. Birdie. Birdie.

That's the type of start Rory McIlroy sought but it's the scorecard of Maverick McNealy, who like his Top Gun namesake, is flying at the moment.

Incidentally, he does have a pilot's licence - and has soared up the leaderboard to two shots off the lead.

He started the day eight back!

Oh Fitzy!

Matt Fitzpatrick has had two looks at birdie today but now drops a shot on the par-three fourth after missing the dancefloor off the tee.

Here we go - this is what we've been waiting for! The big names are flying!

Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm are going well and now Bryson DeChambeau is within one shot of the lead.

His pitch to the eighth green ends up within six feet of the hole and it's a third birdie of the day for the two-time US Open champion.

Here he comes...the world number one makes two birdies in a row thanks to an 18 footer on the fifth for his three.

There's a few lesser lights at the top of this leaderboard, none of them will want to see Scottie Scheffler making a charge.

Worrying moments as Jon Rahm's approach to the 11th is off line and strikes a spectator next to the green.

Thankfully, he appears to be OK and Rahm is straight across to check up on him.

The spectator is all smiles as they share a few good-natured words and he gets a signed glove from the two-time major champion by way of an apology.

Ryo Hisatsune with back-to-back birdies and now in a share of the lead as he strolls off the eighth green.

The wind has picked up and not too many are having better rounds than the Japanese player so far.

One name who has gone unnoticed this week has been big Tony Finau who has quietly steamed up the leaderboard.

We join him putting for a share of second at the ninth. It doesn't drop but he's another presence looming large on an increasingly intimidating leaderboard.

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We mentioned Bryson DeChambeau being an imposing figure near the top of the leaderboard a few moments ago...

Jon Rahm is in that conversation too, showing plenty of times in the past that he can put runs of birdies together in quick succession.

The Spaniard is in for four at the 10th and now five under for the tournament.

Bryson DeChambeau makes his second birdie of the day with a comfortable four on the par-five seventh - he's now two under for the day.

Two shots behind new leader Kim Si-woo, he's in position to strike if he can get on a hot streak.

Jhonattan Vegas gets on the green in two and makes a par. Will that steady the ship?

Fitzy also holes out for his four after a little show of frustration when pulling his approach left from the fairway.

Matthieu Pavon completes the set. The Frenchman is now on a run of 27 holes without a bogey thanks to a nerveless par-saving putt on the third.

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There was so much noise for Scottie Scheffler's effort we almost forgot that Kim Si-woo had fired a dart in there himself, nice and tight to about five feet and with his putting there's no way he's missing that.

Kim moves to seven under and now leads the US PGA Championship.

Speaking of temperature, the hottest on the golf course right now is Maverick McNealy who has backed up his eagle on the previous hole with another birdie.

Four under through six holes today.

And only two shots back.

Ryo Hisatsune has an eagle putt on the seventh and overcooks it slightly, perhaps with the excitement of potentially grabbing a share of the lead.

He makes no mistake with the return and bags himself a birdie to move ever closer to the top of the leaderboard.

Postpublished at 19:44 British Summer Time

19:44 BST

Gavin Andrews
BBC Sport NI at Quail Hollow

Temperatures are rising here at Quail Hollow with it expected to get to 30 degrees plus late in the afternoon.

The fans are trying to keep cool and khaki seems to be the order of the day - with the exception of these fine gentlemen. Respect.

Scottie Scheffler looks to be getting into his ball striking groove, which could spell danger for the rest of the field, judging by his tee shot on the par-three fourth.

It's as crips as you like and does everything bar go in the hole - so no hole-in-one but it's an easy birdie and a signal of intent from the world number one.

Tyrrell Hatton gets back on an even keel for the day with a birdie on the long par-five 10th hole, which is measuring in at 606 yards today.

Rory McIlroy will be encouraged with a couple of things so far; the leader have come back to him a little bit and he's giving himself chances for birdie.

Sadly, the putter has started a little cold for the 36-year-old.

Three pars to start but he's only seven off the lead now - two better off than when he stepped onto the 10th tee about an hour ago.

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Veteran Richard Bland was going along nicely today until coming unstuck at the fifth where he made a double-bogey six to slip back to one under.

Bland is playing here as the winner of the Senior PGA Championship last year - a title he'll be defending next week at Congressional.