Absolute carnage on what is playing the easiest hole on the course so far today - but not for the world's top three players...

Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler both try and get too cute with their chips and see the ball roll back down to where they were standing.

Rory McIlroy is spooked by that so just takes his medicine and bunts a low chip up and off the back of the green, just to stay in the hole.

Three bogeys in four holes for Tyrrell Hatton, who pays for not finding the dance floor with his second on the 14th.

The Englishman ends up on the left edge and then runs 10 feet past before failing to make the return journey.

Bryson DeChambeau is really kicking into gear and he has just nailed another superb putt for back-to-back birdies on the par-four 13th.

This one is from 23 feet and the crowd absolutely love it, as does he.

That birdie moves him to within one shot of leader Patrick Cantlay.

Viktor Hovland picks up his fourth birdie in five holes, a tap-in from less than three feet after yet another excellent approach shot.

Max Homa also joins in on the fun for his first birdie of the day, holing out from just under 14 feet away.

We're in for some fun on the par-five fifth as both Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler go for the green in two but both fall off the steep bank on the left into the native area leaving incredibly difficult chips shots with the flag on the short side.

Seeing this, Xander Schauffele thinks "I'll have a bit of that" so he follows them and we'll have a crazy golf chip-off coming up involving the best three players in the world...

'Go on, roll' you can almost hear Robert MacIntyre say as his birdie putt comes up short on the 14th.

The Scotsman has work to do if he is to make the cut after a struggling to get out of the left greenside bunker on the 13th and throwing in a double.

Superb chip from Tyrrell Hatton, who I'm sure won't have muttered a word of annoyance after where his second ended up.

The Englishman clips in to six feet but then can't roll in for par as he tickles a tentative putt just right of the cup. Now that will cheese him off. Inches away from an eagle and now he drops a shot!

Tommy Fleetwood cards a four after a bobbling birdie putt from the left fringe comes up a foot short.

Bryson DeChambeau is back to even-par for this second round with an excellent birdie putt on the par-four 12th.

From 19 feet, DeChambeau slots home perfectly. A slower pace, but it is perfect for his third birdie of the day.

Viktor Hovland also follows DeChambeau. His approach on the second shot is excellent and from four feet, finishes off the hole for another birdie, his fourth of the morning at Pinehurst No.2.

The same cannot be said for Max Homa, who three-putts for another dropped shot.

Terrible break for Tyrrell Hatton on the 13th.

The Englishman slings his approach in and his ball slams into the hole, bouncing back up and ricocheting back down the green off the flag before scampering down the slope on the front edge and into the greenside bunker.

Absolutely diabolical.

A couple of Americans having a good round so far today are Billy Horschel and Jordan Spieth.

Both started the day in trouble of not making the weekend, but so far, they are giving themselves every chance of doing exactly that, and comfortably too.

Spieth is one-under-par for the day with two birdies and a bogey, while Horschel is two-under, making three birdies in his first nine holes.

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Martin Kaymer turned in one over for both his round and the tournament after a third bogey of the day on 17.

He pars the first hole though and will now tackle the front nine hoping to pick up a shot or two along the way.

I don't know Scottie Scheffler is keeping himself in check as he must be raging inside when he sees a six-footer for birdie miss the target.

The world number one hasn't had a single birdie today and although he's not played his best he's had his chances so really should have picked up a couple at least.

Great bounce back from Tyrrell Hatton on the 12th. He fires in his second to a dozen feet, keeping his ball under the hole and stroking in a birdie putt.

Tommy Fleetwood has a similar line, similar distance but he doesn't learn from his Ryder Cup team-mate. Ball stays left. Par.

He's done it again! Rory McIlroy left his birdie putt on the first hanging on the edge of the lip, and he's done it again on the fourth.

This time it's a long range try from about 35 feet so he wasn't expected to make it, but it pulls up just short - officially that's two inches short, to add to the one-inch putt he had left on the first...

Max Homa has not really had the best of rounds, but one area of his game that has been so good today is his ability to save shots on holes where dropping two or three have been very possible.

A putt off the green from 50 feet gives him a putt from close range to salvage a bogey on this par-four 10th, not the first time a long putt or chip has bailed him out of an awful hole. Home takes it well.

Viktor Hovland is going on a bit of a run and almost makes it back-to-back birdies, narrowly missing out from 11 feet and converting for par.

Bryson DeChambeau also makes par from five feet.

Watch out for Xander Schauffele as he picks up a second successive birdie on the third - as he's peppering these flags now and firing darts at the greens setting up chance after chance.

Finally, Rory McIlroy manages to get his first birdie of the day on his scorecard as he finally converts a chance - this time from six feet.

He missed from 10 feet on the first and has had plenty of other half chances so has been playing OK, but seeing that drop will help.

Tyrrell Hatton flips out of the sand to about eight feet but his par putt is missing on the left. Shot gone.

Tommy Fleetwood fares no better. Two putts from 25 feet and he's got the cut mark looming large in the rear view mirror. The projected cut is around the four/five over mark but given how tough the Number Two course is playing that could go out to six over.

The top 60 plus ties make it to the weekend.

A rare error from Tyrrell Hatton on the par-four 11th. He's eyeing up the flag from the fairway, but pulls his shot left and it thuds into a greenside bunker.

Tommy Fleetwood's troubles continue. He can't get to the green in two and his clipped wedge on pulls up 25 feet short of the hole. Another huge putt for par coming up.

Bryson Dechambeau, Max Homa and Viktor Hovland were all in danger of dropping shots on the par-five 10th, but all have dealt with their individual challenges superbly.

Homa and Dechambeau's approaches both flew off the back of the green, but some great chipping helps their causes.

In the case of Homa, it was excellent, leaving himself a par save from inches, which he takes.

DeChambeau leaves himself nine feet to make par, but whistles his putt past the hole, coming back to make bogey.

Hovland is the star of the hole. Chipping into eight feet from north of 70 yards out, Hovland backs it up with the putt, keeping it straight for a third birdie of the day.

How crazy is golf? Well, England's Sam Bairstow is currently the hottest man on the course as he's three under right now which is better than anyone else currently playing Pinehurst No.2

The punchline? Well, Bairstow shot the worst round of the day yesterday, with his 14-over 84 putting him dead last going into today.

Golf eh...

The duo of Taylor Pendrith and Frankie Capan III are both having good days and find themselves in the top 10 after six holes.

Pendrith and Capan III are two-under-par for the day after six holes, having started their second rounds one-over-par.

Pendrith has found birdies on holes 11 and 13, while Capan III has gone under at holes three and five.

Only 15 players started the day under-par, that has only grown to 16, with the course playing very tough today.