Brendan de Jonge putts from off the green on the fourth. He stands motionless as his ball doesn't deviate once from the line on its way to the cup. He is three under and Martin Kaymer could be about to drop a stroke on two.

Brendon Todd grimaces as he hits his approach to the par four second hole. It's not a painful result, but he will be putting from a different postcode to the hole on a mammoth green.

Martin Kaymer is just short of the putting surface after an almighty whack from the rough. This one is 515 yards long and these two players will testify it's playing as long as it sounds.

Todd still trails his playing partner by six strokes.

English amateur Matthew Fitzpatrick, 19, came up against a Pinehurst course playing more like a true brutal US Open venue for the first time this week and shot 78 to go to 12 over in his last amateur tournament.

"I didn't play too well, but at the same time I didn't feel like I had any luck, but it was a tough day," Fitzpatrick, who turns pro at the Irish Open next week, told 5 live.

"The wind has completely changed direction which is another factor, but I've enjoyed my day. It's been good. The whole week the course has been set up tough, how Martin Kaymer has got to 10 under I'll never know. Very impressive golf. Tomorrow I'll just try and enjoy it."

Image source, Getty Images

So that scrub and sand we mentioned . . . this is what it looks like. Graeme McDowell managed to scramble clear on this occasion but is four over for the day and six over for the tournament.

Matt Kuchar is in trouble on the fourth. From the dusty, gritty North Carolina sand he lets rip and the crowd roar as his ball rolls straight into the hole. It looked in all the way and Kuchar follows successive bogeys with two birdies.

A stunning shot. The crowd chant "Kuuuccch" and their man is one under.

Martin Kaymer is on the fringe of the green. The par-four opening hole nearly caused him problems but his ball gripped and now he putts for birdie.

It's firm, breaks right to left, but rolls by. What a start that would have been for the man they all chase. Par though. He would probably take another 17 of those.

Will we ever see Ian Poulter challenge for a major? He never seems a million miles away yet never seems close enough to get us on the edge of our seats.

It's a staple four-foot putt for the Englishman on six and one over par, he has a lot to do.

Never mind Ian, the Ryder Cup is just a few months away. You love that one.

Hang on a minute, is Pinehurst going soft? Matt Kuchar holes a birdie on three and the course actually gives up an eagle on five.

American Erik Compton is the man being treated nicely by the tough conditions and he moves to one under. Adam Scott is going to sink an eagle to is he......not quite, it slips by.

Scotty gets his birdie though and is on the same mark as Compton.

The final pairing tee off and Martin Kaymer chooses a long iron. A swift swing, stoop to the ground to collect his tee and brisk walk. Kaymer is a machine this week and his ball is in the middle of the fairway.

Brendon Todd, his playing partner also leaves the driver in his bag and plants one on down the stretch. Solid stuff all round. That's why they are at the top of the leaderboard.

Justin Rose will walk to the 10th tee an angry man. He botches the par-three ninth and his bogey putt arcs past. He failed to read the harshness of the break and has to tap in for a double bogey.

The defending champion is three over par. A repeat of 12 months ago now a very distant hope.

American Kevin Na is on the first fairway and with tied 10th his best finish at a major, being third is fairly unfamiliar ground for the 30-year-old. He pumps an iron into the heart of the green and will have a long putt for birdie. He is three under, seven adrift of the lead.

Image source, PGA Tour

All on his own. Not just at the top of the leaderboard.

Martin Kaymer gets his putting stroke going and as the last man on course, he has the practice area to himself.

Pink is the colour of choice for the shirt. It's dashing, daring and perhaps lucky. He wore the same colour when he lifted the Players Championship last month.

The hope of an opening-hole birdie extinguished by a bogey on two for Henrik Stenson. He slips back to two under par, while American sensation Jordan Spieth sinks a putt of 10 feet for par on four - he is a couple further back and needs a charge.

So if you have just joined us, basically, the word the players are using for today is "grind".

Pinehurst is playing tough. Turtle-backed greens are ensuring any ball remotely off kilter runs aimlessly into scrub, sand and probably into the nightmares of some of these players tonight.

Around 60 players are on the course and just three, yes, three are under par. Our leader Martin Kaymer tees off in 15 minutes. You have been warned Martin.

Rickie Fowler is on a mini charge, with birdies on the third and fifth to move to -2 for the day and -2 overall. Henrik Stenson, too, has started brightly with a birdie on the par-four first. And world number one Adam Scott is in a spot of bother, finding scrubland on the fourth and, once again, he misses the green.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent at Pinehurst

Image source, BBC Sport

"I'm not saying our commentary position is cluttered for tonight's coverage... Actually I am!"

You can listen to Iain and the team from 21:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 live Sports Extra.

A birdie for defending champion Justin Rose on the fifth, which means he's level for the day but, hang on, what is this, a bit of magic from Kenny Perry on the scrubland. The American's ball was nestling on a carpet of twigs but, somehow, he holes it from a 100 yards out for an eagle! He raises his arms skywards and the crowd heartily cheer. Splendid. That takes him to +8 for the tournament.

Paulo Brand, external: Martin Kaymer's definitely right to not get ahead of the curve when discussing his chances. It's all about staying focused!

Flags are fluttering which suggests there's a strong breeze whirling around Pinehurst. Jordan Speith's approach shot on the third stops dead, though, and the American could quickly make amends for his bogey on the second.

The turtle-backed green on the second gets the better of Jordan Speith. The American thought his decent chip would see him somewhere near the pin, but his ball quickly rolled down the hill to rest on the edge of the dancefloor. He comes away with a bogey.