Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport at Royal Troon

It can be hard to spot balls soaring into the sky at the best of times, but this slate grey backdrop is making it almost impossible.

That’s not deterring the thousands lining the fairways, mostly huddled under umbrellas,

It’s not stoating, more a constant drizzle.

Justin Rose walks on to the first tee hoisting a brolly in the air to acknowledge the cheers from the crowd.

Rose, who carded rounds of 69 and 68, looks wistfully down the course as rain drops fall from the peak of his cap.

American Billy Horschel bangs one straight down the middle of the fairway, and Englishman Rose duly follows suit.

Image source, Getty Images

Shane Lowry says his experience of winning the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019 will be "very beneficial" in his bid for a second title at Royal Troon.

"I don't know what I'm going to reach in and grab in the memory bank but it will be very beneficial that I've done this before," Lowry told BBC Sport NI.

"There are a lot of guys on that leaderboard that will be gunning for me and gunning for other people. Everyone's going to be giving it their best. These are the best golfers in the world but I'm going to give it my best shot."

Read the full story here...

Image source, Getty Images

Shane Lowry has been here before.

In 2019 at Royal Portrush, he was in the final group for round three - and lit it up with a 63 to take a four-shot lead into Sunday. Nobody got close to him after that.

The Open is back at Portrush in 2025 - how fitting it would be for Lowry to return with the Claret Jug back in his possession.

He's hit a higher percentage of greens than anyone else (75%) and is third for putting so far.

Keep that going and it'll be hard to wrest the trophy away.

And he says he's using his experiences to help him...

Scottie Scheffler's long birdie putt on the first is right at the heart of the hole, but it pulls up just inches short - those last few drops of rain may have stopped that one from dropping.

Richard Winton
BBC Scotland at Royal Troon

I know Thriston Lawrence is managing to make all sorts happen out there, but making the sun come back is probably beyond him. Might be worth slipping the shades back in the bag, big fella...

The South African has just bogeyed the par-four 13th, his first dropped shot of the day.

Catriona Matthew
Captain of Team Europe at the 2019 & 2021 Solheim Cup

I was surprised at the big bounces they both took (with) the rain starting to come down. We’ll just need to watch and see if these greens soften up a little bit.

Image source, Getty Images

We had birdies in brightness earlier on, now will it be bogeys in the rain? It's dark, the air is thick with rain and the leading pair haven't even teed off yet.

It'll be interesting to see how the scoring goes this afternoon...

Richard Winton
BBC Scotland at Royal Troon

The ones I always feel for in these conditions is the caddies. Not only do they always have to hand the brolly back to their gaffer after each shot, but they somehow have to keep all the gear dry. It must be like towelling yourself down with the shower still running.

He was close with a distance putt at the first and now Xander Schauffele has just holed out a lengthy one to heat up his third round.

These greens are pretty soggy now but that's no trouble for the Californian.

Eating in slightly to the distance behind leader Shane Lowry.

Scottie Scheffler gets his third round under way - he won't be used to all this rain coming from Texas but he's got the game to thrive in any conditions.

This heavy rain won't slow Dean Burmester's golf ball down too much, as the big man gives it an almighty thump.

Image source, Getty Images

Alistair Bruce-Ball grabbed a quick chat with three-time winner of The Open - Sir Nick Faldo - and here's what he had to say on how the weather has tripped up some of the world's best golfers:

On player's ability to adapt: "I am pretty shocked, for old school to see so many guys hole after hole drive into the rough.

"I used to stand on the tee and say ‘what do I know that I can keep it on the fairway'. If it’s driver, then fine, off you go, but if you go 'not so sure, got bunkers here and don’t like those', then play sensibly. Play short of them - play past them.

"That’s how we played in my day - a little bit more caution."

On players blindly aiming for the green: "Angles still help, you go down the right-hand side of a fairway because they’ve tucked the pin left - it does make a difference.

"But they all stand up and welly it down there in the rough.

"There's some crazy company that comes out with stats and it says get it as close to the green as possible - and I really don’t agree with that.

"It’s all about creating chances."

Image source, PA Media

As the leading players filter out, our defending Open champion Brian Harman has just completed his third round and is in the clubhouse at five over for the tournament after a 72 today.

Another steady round from the American left-hander, who won in such dominant fashion at Royal Liverpool 12 months ago.

Image source, PA Media

Jon Rahm just comes up short with a birdie putt on five, as the rain really starts to fall now around a grey Troon.

After the wind from yesterday, out field are really getting the full array of links conditions this week to test them out.

Richard Winton
BBC Scotland at Royal Troon

I'm not saying the rain is bad, but there's a fella sailing up the Firth of Clyde in an ark...

Australian Jason Day, who starts the day at one under after rounds of 73 and 68, is sporting a mint green rain jacket on the tee for the first as the rain buckets down.

His opening drive for the par four finds the edge of the rough but he is able to avoid the bunkers with his next shot.

Corey Conners of Canada has no such luck as he bounces into the sand from a similar position.

Now that the later groups are starting to head out for their third rounds, including our leaders, here's a reminder how the top of the leaderboard looks:

• -7 Lowry
• -5 Rose, Brown
• -4 Lawrence (12)
• -2 Horschel, Burmester, Scheffler

Click here for the full leaderboard

Image source, Getty Images

Two 70s for world number one Scottie Scheffler and he'll be the name on the leaderboard nobody else will want to see given how good he is at winning golf tournaments.

Six wins in 10 events, including the Masters, is other worldly stuff from Scheffler, and if he gets a sniff here then he'll be tough to beat - and he's not even hit top form yet!

Dean Burmester is second on the LIV Golf money list and won two back-to-back DP World Tour events at the end of last year, so the big-hitting South African also knows how to get the job done.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport at Royal Troon

The rain has really settled in and there’s barely a breath of wind to move it on. The caddies are going to have a crucial role to play in keeping the clubs dry.

Here's the ace I promised you!