Oh what a ripper out of the bunker from Fleetwood. It's an awkward one but he gets it close, should be a guaranteed birdie and company for Justin Thomas at the top.

-11 J Thomas

-10 B Harman, T Fleetwood (Eng)

-9 B Koepka

-8 P Reed, R Henley, C Hoffman, B Snedeker, X Shauffele, S W Kim (Kor), R Fowler

-7 B Steele, B Haas, JB Holmes

-6 B Wiesberger (Aut)

-5 H Matsuyama (Jpn) P Casey (Eng), M Leishman (Aus), J Lovemark,

Selected others: -4 S Garcia (Spa), L Oosthuizen (SA), E Pepperell (Eng), P Casey (Eng), -3,Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), -1, A Johnston (Eng), M Laird (Sco), +1, B Grace (SA), A Hadwin (Can), +3, L Westwood, +5, E Els (SA)

(a) Amateur

View the full leaderboard here.

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Fleetwood in the bunker on 14, one of very few errors from the Englishman today.

Koepka on the green but a fair distance from the hole.

Rickie Fowler having a somewhat gritty round. He has dropped a shot twice today and on the very next hole he's got the stroke back. The 14th, a par five, gives him his birdie to get back to eight under.

The Hoff ends an erratic back nine with a birdie to finish on eight under with a round of 68.

A sublime front nine but then three bogeys after the turn rather spoiled things. That birdie on the last, together with one on 14 keep him up in contention though.

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There had been four other 63s in US Open history before this week.

Jonny Miller hit the first but his was on the par-71 Oakmont in 1973, while Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf's efforts came on the par-70 Baltusrol in 1980.

Fiji's Vijay Singh also recorded a seven-under 63, at Olympia Fields in 2003.

Dropping two shots on one hole is bad at the best of times, but with a leaderboard this packed, it's brutal.

Steele duly pays for his error at 17 with a double bogey and falls from tied fourth to tied 10th.

Oo-er, ropey stuff from Brendan Steele at 17 as he sees his attempted chip shot fall short and roll all the way back to nearly where he took it from.

Jeez, he almost does the same thing again but the ball plugs at the edge of the green this time.

Think he should've taken a moment longer to compose himself there. He'll drop at least one shot now.

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Steady as she goes for these two as Fleetwood and Koepka make par at the 13th.

Brandt Snedeker rolls in his third birdie in four holes to raech eight under.

The names in the mix just keep coming.

Today has been chaotic on the leaderboard and tomorrow could be too as we are told there could be 25mph gusts. Go on, let's have a proper tear up on US Open Sunday...

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Rickie Fowler is about to fall away from the leader a little. He's making a dog's dinner of the 13th, a par three. His tee shot on the 208-yard beast is short so it's a chip up the hill. Here he goes... not good at all. That ball will roll back to his feet. This then has to go close if he is to drop just one shot. With a flick of the wrist he puts it within a foot. That will take him back to seven under.

Now then, we have two men up to 10 under. Brian Harman built on that super approach at 11, while Tommy Fleetwood also brings up the tweet tweet on 12 - chucking in a fist clench too.

One more birdie? Go on then. Brooks Koepka is at nine under after a good honest putt on 12.

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Golf writer Steve Elling points out that we are seeing something very different at this US Open.

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We have been asking you if you have a golfing lookalike? We ask because Brian Harman looks like former Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting.

As I type, Harman rains one in on the 11th green to leave about the length of a Labrador dog to the pin.

Thanks for this Peter. Anyone else got one? Tweet #bbcgolf.

Jay Townsend
BBC Radio 5 live at Erin Hills

When I watch Si Woo Kim I worry he gets too excited and doesn't keep an even keel.

Back at base we think Jay is joking because Woo Kim barely seems to flicker.

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Rickie Fowler has a putt to save par on 12 which is very, very testing. He has to keep tabs on Justin Thomas and does with a big save.

Over to the 13th and Si Woo Kim - who won The Players' Championship this year of course - is lining up a putt of maybe 35ft for birdie. No chance... oh yes. In shes goes, a corker.

Interestingly, the last entry we posted showed Justin Thomas opting for a pair of trainer socks rather than the traditional golf sock.

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The truly brave would wear Hideki's trousers and Jamie Lovemark's shirt as one ensemble...

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Justin Thomas on his record-breaking nine-under-par 63: "I had no idea (I was close to a record) in terms of the relation to par. I wasn't trying to make three (on the par-five 18th). I was trying to get it in the best spot to make four."

On being in contention to win his major, he added on Sky Sports: "I feel comfortable. Being in contention in a major is new and I'm excited. I hope the moment will come as soon as possible. I know I'm going to be nervous, i just need to harness that as best i can."

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Paul Casey has just three putted on the 10th to bring up bogey. The dreams of Justin Thomas are pretty much perfectly contrasted by what is in Casey's mind right now.

Playing partner Brian Harman has a 10 footer which will have his knees clattering if he is to save par. He does.

It seems Louis Oosthuizen expected the leaders to post at least 10 under.

The South African is four under after a fine round which slid a little late on with a double bogey on 17.

Oosthuizen hit 89% of his greens today, that's second in the field. Interestingly, Jordan Spieth told the media the conditions present the chance to get to 10 under. Justin Thomas had other ideas.

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