Matt Fitzpatrick recovered very quickly from missing a short par putt at the first... by popping in this chip for eagle on the par-five second.

It put the Englishman into a share of the lead, where he's stayed ever since.

Tyrrell Hatton finds a fairway bunker from the ninth tee but he's lying well enough and close enough to the green that he can have a stab at the flag.

Probably 25 feet left for the Englishman, who is three under for his round today.

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Well that's let a bit of air out of the tyres..

A first bogey in 24 holes for Rory McIlroy and it actually comes after he got a stroke of luck by getting a decent spot from that wayward drive.

Hitting that buried second golf ball was a distraction, but he should've done better with a chip from just short of the green than 20 feet, which he then couldn't convert to save par.

A 382-yard drive from Scottie Scheffler puts him in position A on the par-five seventh, which has yielded a few eagles already today.

Matt Fitzpatrick, from about 30 yards further back, plays first and his ball lands in the hollow towards the front of the green.

Scheffler strikes - he likes it - magnificent. About 10 feet left for an eagle three.

Li Haotong smoked his drive 356 yards on the seventh and then after a long iron and a chip has a birdie putt of six feet to join the leaders on 10 under - but he's missed it!

You don't get too many chances as good as that, so that's a big miss.

Tyrrell Hatton produces another great lag putt from long range to secure a two-putt par and remain two off the lead.

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First big miss off the tee today for Rory McIlroy as he carves one miles right of the 11th fairway - but finds himself a nice gap in the rough in a clear area trampled down by the fans.

He hits a gap wedge just short of the green, but that's only half the story as in his follow through his club hits the Portrush turf and uncovers a golf ball buried in the soil!

It pops up and surprised an amused McIlroy, who can only chuckle as he wonders how on earth that's happened.

Not sure I've seen that before - you don't get a penalty for hitting two balls there do you?

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

When you go out as a leader it’s always tricky to get the putts in and stretch it out because you know everyone’s coming after you and you know what position you’re in.

These guys are more than used to it and they’ll be just trying to get a little bit of momentum, build a little bit of confidence and Scheffler and Fitzpatrick will be in good shape.

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What a shirt by the way - terrific hexagon action.

Give this post a thumb if you're a fan of everyone's favourite tessellating shape.

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We got excited about Matt Wallace about an hour ago - and with good reason in that he was five under for his day with six to play.

Well he's just wrapped up at 18 and that's where he stayed. Steady final third from the Englishman and he's one off the clubhouse lead currently held by Russell Henley at -6.

Two birdie chances on the sixth, two go begging.

Pars for the co-leaders.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

McIlroy's just stuck in neutral a bit. His body language is getting increasingly agitated, but he still has plenty of chances on the horizon.

There's so many people out here and it's almost impossible for the marshals to stop them straying beyond the ropes, which is what has just happened between the ninth and 10th fairways.

Graeme Storm
Two-time European Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 Live

One thing I noticed before that putt on the 10th was McIlroy looking for the leaderboard.

Some players say they don't like looking at it, but he strode up the green and the first thing he looked for was the leaderboard.

At this point about an hour ago, the thousands of McIlroy fanatics at Royal Portrush started to get excited.

Six pars later and the dream has stalled a little.

Rory McIlroy is bent over in anguish again as a birdie putt slides by the hole - but it's a birdie putt from 20 feet when he hit his approach from only 130 yards away.

He just has to try to get these wedges and short irons closer.

The up-and-down nature of Bob MacIntyre's round continues as he gifts a shot back at the eighth.

His past five holes read bogey, birdie, par, eagle, bogey.

Steady old Harris English just has two birdies - and he's a shot ahead of his playing partner as it stands.

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

Image source, Getty Images

It’s typical Scottie Scheffler - it’s not been quite with it yet, but he’s just been hanging in there.

His bad golf is level par, which is always a good sign.

Matt Fitzpatrick birdied the sixth hole in both of his first two rounds. He's got another chance here from about 12 feet.

Scottie Scheffler drills his tee shot with a lower trajectory and gets a lovely run-on after bouncing, his ball coming to rest about the same distance from the cup as his playing partner's.

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There's been lots of talk around the US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley in recent weeks and his performance here at Portrush only increases the noise.

An excellent four-under 67 yesterday is being followed up by another tidy round so far today.

He makes the turn in 34 with a blemish-free front nine and sits at five under for the championship.

Safe pars for the two leaders on the fifth.

Five pars in a row for Scottie Scheffler to start.

On they go to the par-three sixth...