Catriona Matthew
Captain of Team Europe at the 2019 & 2021 Solheim Cup on BBC Radio 5 Live

That was an excellent shot. It was lie dependent, and he's lucked out and got a really nice lie.

Rory McIlroy does indeed knock in the birdie putt on five to get to nine under and seven behind Scottie Scheffler.

Matt Fitzpatrick also makes a three from the other side of the hole and he's also on nine under, let's not forget, and that's a nice boost after a really tough start for him so far.

It's not quite the roar of yesterday for McIlroy but there's not as big a crowd down this corner of the course situated right on the cliff's edge.

Richard Winton
BBC Sport Scotland at Royal Portrush

There are a lot of umbrellas up out here... but they belong to those seeking shade rather than shelter.

One American fan in the galleries following Scottie Scheffler asked a local lad if it was always like this in Northern Ireland.

"There was rain for 293 consecutive days last year," was the response. "Do you know how many days there are in a year?"

"S-C-O-T-T-I-E...."

*That's an archive picture, by the way...

Image source, Getty Images

It's a fine chip out of the rough down the side of a big hill guarding the fifth green by Rory McIlroy, and that should be enough for a birdie here when he walks up to knock that in.

This crowd will be hoping it's the start of a charge.

Oliver Wilson
Former Ryder Cup player on BBC Radio 5 Live at Portrush

(Scheffler’s putt) was perfectly paced and caught the left edge of the hole and dropped in. It's looking ominous.

Anyone seen the engraver?

Scottie Scheffler's birdie putt drops - only just - but it's enough to take him to 16 under par for the tournament.

That's after Li Haotong is off target with his par putt from 18 feet. He drops back alongside Chris Gotterup and Harris English in a share for second place, while Scheffler strides away into the distance.

We've said this a lot this week, but this fifth hole is magnificent. It's the fourth easiest this week but it's not as easy as that stat suggests, and it depends on how aggressive you are.

Both of our group are, but neither ends up in position A - with Matt Fitzpatrick settling in the left rough and Rory McIlroy short and right in the rough stuff after taking a mightily aggressive line going right at the green.

Faith Harper
BBC Sport NI at Royal Portrush

There are several suncream stations around the course and spectator villages, which haven't seen much action until today.

In the time I've been stood here, it's been refilled twice. Instead of seeking shelter from the rain, it's a spot in the shade that's in demand today!

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

Different energy around the home favourite today. The groans in the crowd are becoming more frequent.

He looks as focused, but the execution hasn't been there.

This group really needed to raise the volume early and put the squeeze on Scheffler. Maybe an eagle on the picturesque fifth?

Image source, Getty Images

Li Haotong is in a fairway bunker on the fourth and all he can do is nudge it about 100 yards. Tough to save par from here.

Scottie Scheffler is in a perfect position with a great angle into the flag - he stares down his approach as it drifts down a slope to within eight feet.

A potential two-shot swing here that would put Scheffler seven shots clear if it happens...

Image source, Getty Images

A huge letdown for the Portrush faithful as Rory McIlroy can't get himself out of jail with that huge par putt so he has to sign for a bogey five here and slip back to eight under.

That's now seven shots off the lead...

Image source, Getty Images

Jordan Spieth has been speaking about Scottie Scheffler, who followed Spieth's path through the University of Texas:

"He doesn't care to be a superstar. He's not transcending the game like Tiger did. He's not bringing it to a non-golf audience necessarily. He doesn't want to go do the stuff that a lot of us go do, corporately, anything like that.

"He just wants to get away from the game and separate the two because I know that he - at one time - felt it was too much, that he was taking it with him.

"Whenever he made that switch, I don't know what it was, but he has hobbies. He's always with his family. They're always doing stuff.

"I think it's more so the difference in personality from any other superstar that you've seen in the modern era and maybe in any sport. I don't think anybody is like him."

Image source, Getty Images

Shane Lowry believes Scottie Scheffler ought to be spoken about in the same breath at Tiger Woods:

"If Scottie's feet stayed stable and his swing looked like Adam Scott's, we'd be talking about him in the same words as Tiger Woods.

"I just think because it doesn't look so perfect, we don't talk about him like that.

"I think he's just incredible to watch, and his bad shots are really good. That's when you know he's really good."

Image source, Getty Images

Tyrrell Hatton's challenge has hit a stumbling block in the early stages of his final round.

He started so well with a birdie at the first, but he's followed his bogey on two with another at the fifth - again after finding a bunker off the tee.

Hmm - that's not great from Rory McIlroy with a high swipey cut with his approach landing in some cabbage way off the green, and he just can't get any control on the ball with the chip so it's a long, long putt coming up to save par.

Image source, Getty Images

Rickie Fowler's just brought his Open to a close, and what a day it's been for the 36-year-old.

A brilliant six-under par 65, capped off with a birdie at the 18th and the American heads to the clubhouse at eight under for the tournament.

That's the lowest final round score at Portrush.

The conditions are there for a run today...

One of the benefits that Scottie Scheffler has over the rest of the field when he's in a commanding position like this is he doesn't need to go chasing flags.

On the third, he hits the centre of the green and will have about 30 feet for birdie. Easy two-putt, par.

It's what I grew up watching Tiger Woods doing for so many years. Take the birdies when they come but there's no need for unnecessary risks.

Li Haotong recovers from his bogey on the second with a safe par on three.

We've kept you informed all week with regular grandstand queue updates so here's the latest from the 18th.

I don't know about you but I'm not sure if any of these folk will get a seat up there for the leaders... I reckon those in situ will be nestled in now for the day!