It's not been happening for Tommy Fleetwood today, until he reached the 16th!

This stunning second sets up an eagle that takes him to -14 with two to play.

He might not be out of it yet...

It wasn't too far from the water on the 17th, but it was dry. That's all that mattered...

Rory McIlroy looks in the groove as he pitches on to the 17th with a wedge.

He's not far from spinning back in to the water mind. Surely he doesn't want to be taking any chances at this stage.

This was how Rory Mc boomed it down the 16th...

Is Jon Rahm thinking of taking up a new career as an arborist? He's back in the trees again on 16, over to the right of the fairway.

Attacking the right-sided pin is almost impossible from there.

This is where you imagine being a four-time major winner comes in as Rory McIlroy keeps his nerve on the 16th hole with a slippery downhill putt to make birdie.

He's out front alone now.

Iain Carter
BBC Sport golf correspondent at Sawgrass

McIlroy's 347-yard drive on the 16th showed how pumped he is. Followed it with a brilliant nine iron and a cast-iron birdie. He's taken care of three of the four par-fives which is what he wanted to do. This is a gutsy display. Tee shots on 17 and 18 are massive.

Brandt Snedeker goes right off the tee at 18 to avoid the water.

But he's so far right that he's almost in a different postcode before the ball takes a fortunate bounce and skips back a touch.

He won't have an ideal second shot.

Brandt Snedeker is just one stroke off the lead. But the 18th is a notoriously difficult hole to finish on.

I know Jim Furyk has just made a mockery of that statement but there's water all the way down the left and a smattering of grass bunkers to the front-right section of the green.

I wouldn't fancy this.

And here's how Rory McIlroy birdied the 15th to join Furyk on -15...

And it doesn't. The eye-roll says it all. Jon Rahm has a tap-in for a bogey as the holes start to run out.

Jon Rahm has got a huge putt coming up on 15. This really does have to drop.....

Have a gander at Jim Furyk's magnificent approach to the 18th, which set up a birdie that gives him a share of the lead.

He's in the clubhouse on -15, alongside McIlroy who's playing the par-five 16th...

Tommy Fleetwood looks like he wants to cry on 15. He's in prime position off the tee but drifts left into the sand with his second.

Jon Rahm fares no better. He finds the front bunker after playing off the path to the left of the trees. Not sure either can afford to drop shots at this stage.

This is getting ridiculous.

Hold your hats. Rory McIlroy is back in business. A superb second shot leaves him with a 12-footer for birdie.

It's on its way.....get in, get in. It's in. He's back in the lead alongside Jim Furyk.

Get in. Jim Furyk is the new clubhouse leader with a birdie at 18. Just imagine that putt on 17 had dropped....

What. A. Story. Jim Furyk has just played one of the best iron shots you're likely to see this or any calendar year.

Stunning accuracy to land his ball a couple of feet from the pin on 18. I mean it was only from an eight iron shot from about 170 yards. He couldn't could he?

Sunday Times chief sports writer David Walsh enjoys what he hears from Eddie Pepperell...

Eddie Pepperell speaking to Sky Sports:

"I just tried to pick a line and go for it. My feel on the back nine was incredible around the greens.

"That may be the highlight of my career, you never know. I hope I've not peaked too early. There's something about the course I just feel comfortable with.

"I played terrible at times. I was useless with my three wood, which is normally my banker. I was great on the greens, though. I felt like Seve [Ballesteros] out there, to be fair."