Kaymer with a birdie chance on the 10th...tickles the cup before lipping out and the German grimaces. Rickie Fowler birdies the 17th and has the young American put himself in a position to pounce on closing day? Fowler -3 for the day and the tournament.

Image source, Getty Images

Martin Kaymer, in the sand at the 10th, practises by swinging at fresh air before taking aim at the pin and it's a lovely shot by the German who has given himself a birdie chance.

Neil Criggie, external: Snedeker is always dangerous #watchoutmartin #hesbehindyou

Defending champion Justin Rose finishes with a level-par 70 and says he is surprised with his score.

"There's no doubt it was difficult," says the Englishman. "But it surprised me when I got in and they told me I was tied for the low score for the day because it felt like I left a few shots out there. My bogeys were all cheap giveaways and I never put myself into big trouble.

"I was looking at the leaderboard and nobody is really going anywhere. But I think I'm four or five shots too far back because I needed to go low today. I've played well, though, and I can see the signs of a couple of things I've been working on. Hopefully I can have a low one tomorrow."

Image source, Getty Images

"Some guys focus like every hole is the last hole," Compton once said. "And I need to play like that every week. Sucking it up, basically that's what I've been doing my life - figuring out how to play golf when you're not at your best.

"I guess my story's like a movie. It's not a made-up story, but it's real. It just doesn't faze me anymore. We all have issues, right? I trade some of the bad issues and bad things that have happened. I have a lot of great things."

"I want to be a top 50 player in the world. I have to keep getting better. I'm bound to have a win and have a good season. It's not impossible. I have a good swing. The guys out here are really, really good. But I'm really good, too. I'm not just a dead guy walking."

Only six men are in the red for the day and one of them is Erik Compton, a man who is on his third heart. Back in 2007, Compton had a heart attack and as he drove himself to hospital, thinking his time was nearly over, he called everyone he knew to tell them he loved them.

Six months later he had his second heart transplant and seven years on he is battling with the best at the US Open.

Jay Townsend
BBC Radio 5 live summariser at Pinehurst

"Seventy-two is going to be a good score today, looking at the finished score. Very few and far between are guys who have finished par or under par for the day."

Hello. Aimee here again as Luke takes a well-earned breather and Martin Kaymer seems to be back in the swing of things after an iffy start to his round. He's in the heart of it from the 10th tee.

Dustin Johnson has been ghost-like today, starting on two under par and breezing along in the North Carolina sunshine without major falter or heroics.

Is this then the start? A perfectly-weighted putt on 10 picks him up a stroke and he moves to two under.

A tricky par putt for Kaymer on nine.....drops. He has been rock-solid from 10 feet all week.

Now then. Can Rory McIlroy rattle off seven birdies in a row to put himself back into this? Doubtful I know but he has a chance for a second in three holes on 12 after a smart iron shot into the green.

Not the day the 2011 champion wanted. He won't be alone in quivering after carding a big score tonight.

Image source, AP

Scoring may be tough at Pinehurst, but this is surely uncalled for. This lady obviously hasn't been following Martin Kaymer's yo-yo of a round or cottoned on to Erik Compton's fireworks.

Snedeker, in checked blue and white trousers, putts from around 50ft and leaves a tap-in for bogey. The American made a complete hash of a chip onto the green after a wayward tee-shot into the par-three ninth.

Volatile golf. The story of the day. Pinehurst is sniggering.

-9 Martin Kaymer; -4 Kevin Na; -3 Erik Compton, Henrik Stenson, Brendon de Jonge, Brandt Snedeker; -2 Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar; -1 Dustin Johnson

Selected others: Even Jordan Spieth; +1 Justin Rose, Adam Scott; +2 Jason Day; +3 Rory McIlroy

Full leaderboard from US Open website , external

Kevin Na moves to four under and tied second with a well-crafted three on the par four eighth. He follows it with a drawn tee shot into the heart of the green and will putt - all be it from range - to move within four of the lead.

Brandt Snedeker, his swing snappy and compact, lands his tee shot on nine in all sorts of trouble. A mix of sand, scrub and TV wires await the American at the back of the green.

David, external: Kaymer has a big lead but c'mon Ricky Fowler! I think Rory is too far behind

Rory is probably too far back on three over, but Fowler nudges one beautifully into the cup for birdie on 13. The colourful youngster moves to two under. Your man could do it David.

Jay Townsend
BBC Radio 5 live summariser at Pinehurst

"He was the number one amateur in the game in his teen years so he knows how to play at a high level, relative to his level. Erik Compton is supremely talented but has been held back by his health problems. It's not a huge surprise for people in the know to see him up there."

The race for second place has many protagonists but Erik Compton is winning the hearts of the galleries in North Carolina as he bumps home a putt for a fourth birdie in five holes.

Outright second place is his reward on four under. Brendon de Jonge, Kevin Na and Brandt Snedeker are tied a shot further back.

BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Sergio Garcia ended with a two-over-par 72 to finish +6 for the tournament after the third round.

"Obviously the course was playing tough, drying up a little bit. It was a little bit windier," says Garcia on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.

"It's a bit of a shame because if I'd been able to shoot one under or even par it would have been a really good round. Unfortunately, I let it get away with a couple of bad shots. It's definitely playing harder, the wind is playing different and it makes you rethink everything."

Ian Poulter looks like he may bite his putter on 11 as a six foot effort refuses to drop. The frustrations this course is throwing up could create more moments of anger as the day unfolds.

No such emotion for Matt Kuchar who smiles as he picks the ball out of the cup on the 198 yard ninth. Birdie and two under overall for the man who last won in South Carolina in April.

After five holes in which he has fluctuated from the sublime to the ridiculous, all that remains is for Kaymer to putt from on the green to off it.

He obliges. The sixth hole is a shot thief this week and Kaymer rolls a long one past the pin and into the thin rough. His return is good, though, and it will only be one dropped shot.