Rory McIlroy stormed back into contention with a sensational back nine that saw him finish one shot behind clubhouse leader Wyndham Clark.
The Northern Ireland man won the event back in 2011 and is aiming for his first major since 2014 and is well poised going into the weekend.
Coming into the day at five-under-par, McIlroy was just three shots off the top spot as he teed off on Friday.
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Teeing off on the 10th hole, McIlroy bogeyed the 11th and 13th holes but did grab a birdie on the 12th.
Another bogey for McIlroy on the 17th saw him drift away from the leaders and had a number of puts finishing agonisingly close from dropping in his first nine holes.
But the world number three would birdie six of his back nine holes, going under par on one, three, five, six, eight and nine and his only blemish coming on the lengthy fourth hole.
McIlroy finished the day on eight-under and will be among the final couple of groups on Saturday.
Padraig Harrington was out early and shot a one-under-par round and is set to make the cut.
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