"Where. Is. That. Going," screams a furious Ian Poulter to his approach at 15 in meme-like fashion.

It sticks to the very outskirts of the green. His birdie putt is tracking the hole but is one revolution light as it kisses the edge. But another solid par ticked off for the Englishman.

Right then, Justin Rose eyeing up a birdie chance at the 16th.

Six, seven feet from the pin. He doesn't strike it right. It bobbles off the face and trickles to the left of the cup.

Rose pops away for par instead.

That trio of superstar names all escape the fourth - their 13th - in par after a scatter-gun approach to the green.

Only two players are currently worse off on the scoreboard than Rory McIlroy, mind...

Oh, Fitz.

A bogey at the par-four 12th wipes out his consistent start to the back nine and the Englishman drops to one over.

Fitzpatrick just stuck it on the fringes with his approach, but three-putted from there for bogey.

-1 Piercy (17), Poulter (13), Hoffman (10*)

Evens Fitzpatrick (11), Kuchar (11), Knox (11*)

+1 Rose (14), Casey (13*), A. Johnston (11)

+2 Z. Johnson (12*), Reed (12*), Casey (9*),

+3 Hatton (12), Fowler (11*)

+4 Oosthuizen (14), Matsuyama (11*)

+5 Kopeka (14), Willett (13)

+6 Mickelon (12*), Spieth (12*)

+10 McIlroy (12*)

Matt Kuchar did have the lead a few holes back. A double bogey-bogey combo has wiped that out, with the American sticking his tee shot out of bounds at the 12th.

He's one over through 12.

Image source, Getty Images

So, right now, the only players under par at Shinnecock are the joint leaders.

Russell Knox is just a stroke behind Ian Poulter and Scott Piercy though, with the Scotsman tucking away a speedy mid-range putt to remain at level par.

A few players gathering behind the leading pair.

Half of 156-strong field is yet to tee off though. They are scheduled to start going out from the first and 10th tees from 17:30 BST.

I wonder how Tiger Woods will fare - he's out with world numbers one and two, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas at 18:47 BST. It's a decade since he won his 14th and last major, the 2008 US Open.

Image source, Getty Images

Rory McIlroy dodges the bunker off the tee at four but undercooks his approach to the green. That one came off the club blue.

Jordan Spieth goes beyond the pin, with Phil Mickelson sitting a little prettier somewhere between the others as he makes the green in two.

Another Englishman, Matt Fitzpatrick, is also flirting with the top of the leaderboard at the minute.

He's level through 11 to sit one off the lead in a five-way share of third place.

Ian Poulter and American Scott Piercy currently going dibs on top spot.

Image source, Getty Images

Oofff. Justin Rose. A rotation away from seeing his bunker shot drop in at the 15th.

It stops narrowly short of the cup, stays up and he settles for par.

It keeps him one over in a tie for ninth.

Image source, Getty Images

Dave McK: Interesting to see how few USA players up the leaderboard and yet how many English and Scots. Not your usual USPGA target golf favours our players?

Andrew Platt: Rory McIlroy a shadow of his former self. Still capable of moments of brilliance - but zero consistency. Tough conditions yes but not +10 conditions for a world class player. Frustrating to watch.

Phil Mickelson with a 75-foot shot at birdie, and tickles it up to within a few feet of the flag.

Oh no, head back, hunched over. Leftie fires wide with his birdie putt and the frustration continues.

Jordan Spieth ticks off a well-made par to find some stability.

Image source, Reuters

Well, as soon as I mention Ian Poulter regaining a slice of the lead he sticks one in the sand at 13 and is set to drop a shot.

The Englishman coaxes a neat effort out of the bunker and up towards the flag, but it's not dropping.

He'll tap in for bogey.

Ian Poulter, meanwhile, has regained a share of the lead.

The Englishman dropped a stroke at the 10th, but immediately chalked that off with a birdie at the 11th and followed up with a par at the 12th.

He moves to two under and sits up top alongside Matt Kuchar.

Phew, more bogeys than an afternoon with my nephew.

The McIlroy-Mickelson-Spieth feature all drop another shot at the 11th to prove things aren't getting any easier since the turn.

The Americans both go left of the green on the par-three second, Rory goes right, and then all three two-putt after making the good stuff.

Ouchy.

Jordan Spieth, red shirt flapping around like it's hanging from a washing line in a hurricane, drops a shot at the 10th after failing to tuck away a straightforward par putt.

He drops back to five over.

Phil Mickelson doesn't quite get the break either, but the American makes par.

Image source, Getty Images

Iain Carter
BBC Sport commentator at Shinnecock Hills

One of the big talking points was the width of the fairways – the first, for example is much wider than you would expect to see at a US Open - and there were fears that the course may play easier than you would expect at what is considered the toughest of the four majors.

But the wind is blowing and it's due to freshen. The course was rained on yesterday but it’s drying out fast and that wind brings the thick rough into play and that is going to cause all sorts of problems from the players.

Scoring is already tough and this might prove be the easier day of the championship.