Jay Townsend
Former American professional golfer on BBC Radio 5 live

Jordan Spieth is the youngest player to hold the 36-hole lead at the US Open since Walter Hagen in 1914.

Hagen went on to win the first of his two US Open titles by one shot.

BBC Radio 5 live

Englishman Ian Poulter has had his say (or not) on the Chambers Bay course after his one-under-par 69 that lifted him to four over for the tournament.

He said: "I've got to know the course, it's unique in its kind. I have understood what the challenges are in front of me. I have executed shots I'd like to have done, poor shots have cost me not anything else.

Poulter added: "We all know you can't say, what you would really like to say, because there is no benefit in that. It is hard to express yourself."

Image source, Reuters

If the breaks even out, then Chambers Bay owes Ben Martin big time.

He has a birdie putt on two. If he makes it, he moves joint top of the leaderboard.

His effort skims just wide. It is a mite heavy, but it doesn't deserve what happens next. The ball is almost stopped dead, before teetering, accelerating and running off the green and into a bunker.

A cruel mistress this links.

Image source, EPA

Amid all the understandable wailing and whining, Louis Oosthuizen is making Chambers Bay look like a stroll.

The South African deciphers the riddle of the 13th green, guiding his ball through the backroads and byways for another birdie.

He is now four under for the day and one under for the event. His card is a picture as well five birdies and just the one bogey amid the pars.

Five holes left for him.

Colin Montgomerie, the three-time US Open runner-up was asked by BBC Radio 5 live if the views around Chambers Bay make up for the "disappointing" greens.

He replied: "No, we can go to Fiji for that, views of the ocean. There are a number of islands in the Pacific we could go. Chambers Bay is dramatic and ridiculous at the same time.

"I don't think it is good for spectators either. $125 a round. My wife saw 15 shots yesterday and they were from a long way away.

"It's not really a spectator course at all. Holes one, 10 and 18 you can't see at all but it's a beautiful spot and it's a pleasure to be here. We are lucky to be here."

There have not been many better than England's Ian Poulter today.

He has come home one under par for the day, signing off on a card that featured six birdies.

He will begin his final round at four over.

Image source, Reuters

Jason Day is not going to die wondering out on the third green. His birdie putt is a bolshy little blighter, barrelling up from 10 feet before riding around the rim and staying north.

Ben Martin has made a strong start out. A birdie on the first move him to four under and share of third place with Branden Grace and Dustin Johnson, just a shot off the leaders.

South Africa's nine-time major champion Gary Player has just been on BBC Radio 5 live and boy was he in the mood for a rant.

On Chambers Bay he said: "I love to see golf courses tough. But professionals are hitting putts from 20 feet and aiming 20 feet right. It's abnormal. I'm not against undulating greens but these greens are unplayable.

He also echoed Colin Montgomerie's comments on the difficulties for spectators. "The whole place is inundated with all these mounds," he continued. "One woman struggled to see more than three or four shots of her own son's round and she got lost trying to watch him playing in the US Open. That's not right. Are you not seeing this?"

However, he thought it was tournament organiser Mike Davis' prerogative to alter hole lengths if he wished - such as changing the first and 18th from par four to five and vice versa. "As my hero Winston Churchill said, change is the price of survival," said Player.

Yesterday Henrik Stenson compared the surface of the Chambers Bay greens to broccoli.

The good news for the organisers is that Rory McIlroy disagrees.

The bad news for them is his only issue is what vegetable is the best comparison.

"I don't think they're as green as broccoli -more like cauliflower," he said after his level-par third round.

Jason Day's tee-shot at the par-three third is a humdinger, hopping on like a spring bunny to within ten feet.

The Australian looks like he is consciously trying to keep his head as still as possible between shots to ward off a recurrence of vertigo.

Could that little game actually help him keep his mind off the scoreboard and the associated pressure?

Image source, Getty Images

Colin Montgomerie dropped to seven over par after carding a two-over 72 today and the Scot told BBC Radio 5 live: "That is some golf course, 72 is okay.

"I feel under par, you take the three-puts away and you've almost played perfectly.

"It's hard, very very hard. It's a long walk as well, 4000 yards for the front nine yesterday I mean come on."

On the state of the Chambers Bay greens he added: "The greens are the disappointing thing, the surface of the greens. The ball doesn't run true and in this day in age it should be something we come to expect."

Kevin Kisner has a little more life about him that those cookie-cutter college-fresh American pros.

Asked about how he got over two recent play-off defeats earlier this year, he provided a one-word answer: "Drank.", external

Well, he might need a stiffener after three-putting at two to slip back to one under.

Playing partner Jason Day similarly struggled to get the job done on the green. He bogies to slip back to one under as well.

Image source, EPA

You guys....

Definite shorts weather at Chambers Bay today, just perhaps not these shorts specifically.

Jay Townsend
Former American professional golfer on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Image source, AP

"Rory had a good day today. He hit the ball really well tee to green but his putter is holding him back. If he's going to get on a hot streak again he's going to have to get his putter going again. His chances of winning this week are out."

Rory McIlroy has been given a runaround by an 18th green with more peaks and valleys than the Appalachians.

From looking good for a possible eagle three, he finally drains a real wobbler for par.

His look of exasperation as he finishes his round is classic. If there are any easily offended lip readers watching, I hope they weren't.

All done for the world number one. Level par for the day, four over for the day.

Image source, Getty Images

Jason Day suffered a fall yesterday as a result of his vertigo.

The Australian looked very wobbly on his feet then, but he has been very sure-footed along the first.

Good tee-shot, good approach, a very decent attempt for a 15-footer par putt, just short. He remains at two under.

But that is a promising opening.

Rob in London: Can we get a petition going to rename these putting surfaces 'browns'? Not much green anywhere to be seen!

Image source, Getty Images

There are not a lot of Europeans bothering those rigging up the on-course scoreboards.

Dutchman Joost Luiten, on three under, will begin his round at 22:28 BST, but Alexander Levy has begun his day with a birdie to mover to two under and a share of ninth.

This is only the 24-year-olds's second Major after last year's USPGA.

-5 J Spieth (US), P Reed (US); -4 B Grace (SA), D Johnson (US); -3 J Luiten (Ned), T Finau (US), D Summerhays (US), B Martin (US)

Selected others E P Casey (Eng) 4; +4 McIlroy (NI) 16, L Donald (Eng) 13, I Poulter (Eng) F ; +6 J Rose (Eng) 6, L Westwood (Eng) 6; +7 C Montgomerie (Sco) F, P Mickelson (US) 11

For a full leaderboard, click this way, external.

Image source, AP

Phil Mickelson's putter belatedly gets warm - sinking a giant slipperyeel of a putt for a birdie on 11.

The gallery roar their approval, but it is going to take more than that to get Mickelson - back to seven over - to start believing.