We've spoken a lot about the damage that can be caused by finding the bunkers at Royal Troon, but landing in the rough can be just as punishing, as Ken Brown explains...

Three birdies in the past three posts - what's happening?!

Those Robert MacIntyre fans have more to shout about as he starts his back nine with a second birdie of the day to move just one outside of the cut mark.

The comeback is on!

Brian Harman lasers a long-range birdie putt into the hole at the ninth and is out in 39.

That's the first birdie on his card today. But still work to do if the reigning champion is to make it to the weekend.

Something to shout about for Bryson DeChambeau at least as he chips in from the rough off the ninth green to end the front side with a birdie - his first of the day.

There's a fist pump and a huge Bryson smile as he improves to six over, which as we've seen is now the projected cut mark so the US Open heads into the back nine bang on the number.

I'm running out of words for Ludvig Aberg now, who also bogeys the ninth to make it six shots dropped in five holes in an amazing collapse.

Justin Rose can't quite find the bottom of the cup for birdie on 17 - but it was mightily close.

One more hole to go.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live

It is the nature of links golf. Especially when the first tee off time is 06:30 in the morning and the last tee off time is heading towards 16:00.

It’s just the nature of the British seaside. You can go to the beach in the morning and need your overcoat in the afternoon, or vice versa.

That’s part and parcel of what the championship is all about. It is inherently unfair but one of the cliches of golf is that it isn’t meant to be fair.

BBC Radio 5 Live coverage continues via the link at the top of this page.

As many of us expected, with conditions as they are and players struggling across the board, the projected cut has slipped to six over par.

That means, as it stands, Rickie Fowler, Darren Clarke, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tony Finau, Bryson DeChambeau and reigning champion Brian Harman would make it to the weekend by the skin of their teeth.

It gives home favourite Robert MacIntyre a chance at eight over, too.

Excellent tee shots set up birdies for Tyrrell Hatton and Max Homa on the eighth - very nice indeed.

Rory McIlroy is a little further out and can't find the hole from 25 feet. A par.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think it’s really interesting that the most likely candidate (to trouble the top of the leaderboard) is a seasoned campaigner in Justin Rose.

Well into his 40s, a former world number one, a US Open champion and really knows how to deal with the elements, use the elements, play the imaginative shot.

It’s not the one dimensional game that we see so often on the PGA Tour that is required here.

I think it’s refreshing that he is up there.

In amongst the carnage elsewhere, Justin Rose has played a sublime round of golf.

The former US Open and Olympic champion gets a birdie four on the 16th to move to four under for the tournament, and still has just the one bogey on his card. Metronomic.

He'll get a look at a birdie putt on the par-three 17th too...

Tommy Fleetwood ends his front nine with a disastrous double-bogey six and that drops him outside the cut mark.

It could be worse though, as Robert MacIntyre will tell him as he pars the ninth to turn in a seven-over 43.

That start was horrendous with two triple bogeys and two bogeys, but to be fair he's steadied the ship and played the next five holes in one under.

MacIntyre is a fighter though and he'll battle to try and make the weekend on home soil - and the fans will keep believing!

Image source, BBC Sport

The Postage Stamp bunkers claim another victim.

Brian Harman escapes at the first time of asking, but the defending champion can't save his par and he's four over for his round.

All you budding ornithologists out there - I bring you news of another lesser spotted birdie.

Tyrrell Hatton obliges with a very nice putt on the seventh green.

Rory McIlroy gives himself a look at a three but his birdie putt just misses.

Jon Rahm goes from zero to hero on the ninth as he flat out tops his second shot, like any one of us would do, but then holes out from 49 yards for a birdie like none of us would do.

That means he gets back to level par for his round at the turn and just two over for the tournament, which is not too shabby at all in these conditions.

Bryson DeChambeau misses a short one for birdie on the Postage Stamp as he remains outside the cut line, but Tom Kim has an absolute disaster as he visits not one, not two, but THREE bunkers on this short hole.

Kim ends up with a double-bogey five after his triple visit to the sand, while Ludvig Aberg's car crash of a round continues to lurch from disaster to disaster with yet another bogey.

Brian Harman is in the bunker on eight. He's not the only one to have been there today - far from it.

Here's Ken Brown's view of the perfect way to play the Postage Stamp...

BBC Radio 5 Live

Open debutant Dan Brown is two shots off the lead after a one over 72 today - he has been speaking to Andy Stevenson:

"It was always going to be tricky to back up what I did yesterday. The conditions didn’t really allow that so it was just very much managing your expectations.

“I wasn’t expecting to go out and shoot another three or four under. I was just [taking] one shot at a time and grind it out. It did feel more of a grind today than yesterday.

"I know I’m capable. A lot of people probably didn’t know who I was coming into this week, but I feel good and at home on links golf.

"I’ve played a lot of amateur stuff in the UK where you play links golf and we’ve had a bit of a period away from that but I came back from Open qualifying, back on a links course and was comfortable straight away when I was playing straight away. That’s transcended into this week."

What was last night like and what will tonight be like for you? "It was a case of getting some food - I don’t think we finished until gone 21:30 yesterday so just managed to get some food down me and headed back and get some rest."

On probably playing in the final group tomorrow: “I had a warm-up of that today. There were a few people watching on Thursday and a good few more today so I feel like I have warmed up to that kind of atmosphere with the crowds and stuff. I’m looking forward to it."

If you told yourself a few years ago that you would be on the top page of the leaderboard, would you have believed it? "Absolutely not. In all honestly I didn’t think I would even get on (the) DP (World Tour) or be a winner so it’s all happening."

Rich in Liverpool: Called this yesterday after 12 holes and was shot down, but Rory is actually getting worse and is now in danger of finishing dead last after two rounds! It’s pretty hard to watch I’m afraid.

Andy (England supporter): Re Anon 16:36. If only. It would be lovely to see England win a tournament so they could go out on the lash!

Gav: Re Anon, the England football team didn’t win a trophy though, major or minor.

Anon: Replying to Anon's comment at 16:36. Calling the Scottish Open a minor trophy isn't giving the tournament much respect. But more importantly Bob MacIntyre is a Scot, it's his home tournament and one he narrowly missed out on winning last year to McIlroy. He really wanted to win it and celebrated when he did! Leave him alone!

Brian Harman's long birdie attempt on seven slides just by the right edge, a decent effort.

The cut line is currently on five over, but I'd be amazed if it's not six - or maybe even seven over - by the end of the day.