Marc Warren rolls in a birdie on 14 and the Scot moves to -4, eight off the lead. Another birdie for Matt Kuchar at 16, he moves back into the red. Alas, Ian Poulter made bogey on 17, found a bunker on 18 and looks set to miss the weekend.

Image source, Getty Images

Tiger Woods after a 77 left him two over par, way behind leader Rory McIlroy, told BBC Radio 5 live: "I got off to a terrible start again. I had some opportunities but I never made anything. I had myself in good position to make birdies but I never did.

"Hopefully I can do something like Paul did in 1999, make up 10 in one day."

Paul Lawrie clinched the title at Carnoustie when he came from 10 shots behind.

Earlier we asked you which is the best venue for The Open.

Unsurprisingly, 51.5% of you chose the Home of Golf, St Andrews, while Carnoustie came second with 10.2% of the votes. 8.2% said other - perhaps fans of Sandwich and Royal Lytham...

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent at Hoylake

Not to diminish his (Rory McIlroy's) performance but the draw has fallen his way. He will have a soft golf course to play on tomorrow just as the rain stops falling. It's made for him.

These performances echo what Martin Kaymer did at Pinehurst. So it's definitely within McIlroy's compass to run away from this position.

Martin Kaymer took a six-shot lead into the weekend at last month's US Open and coasted to victory by eight strokes.

McIlroy with his six-footer at the last... in it goes - the Northern Irishman is 12 under after two rounds of 66 and leads Dustin Johnson, in second, by five.

Leaders: -12 - Rory McIlroy; -7 - Dustin Johnson; -6 - Sergio Garcia, Francesco Molinari, Ryan Moore, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Rickie Fowler.

Official Open leaderboard, external; Clubhouse scores

Matsuyama floating one in from just off the green, could be another shot gone for the young Japanese player... misses from 12 feet, that's a six, a round of 74 and -1 for the tournament. Spieth misses his birdie attempt and that's a 75 for +2, he'll be here this weekend. Just.

Mark James
Former Ryder Cup captain on BBC TV

"Supposedly this is "dodgy Friday" for Rory McIlroy but after a few problems on the early holes he has looked majestic."

McIlroy is playing his third from the middle of the 18th fairway, should get this close and get up and down... clipped it, looks like it's going to race by but puts on the breaks and finishes six or seven feet from the pin.

Jay Townsend
Former European Tour golfer on BBC Radio 5 live

So is it Rory McIlroy's to lose already?

"It's way too early for that. But you know what, people count their eggs before they hatch. I was called contrary yesterday, but I think I was right.

"He looks like he's in control, he has a timing swing and when his timing is good, when he's in sync, even if everybody else plays to the best of their ability he wins by five or six."

Rory McIlroy clips out of the rough and, from the middle of the fairway, has a great shout at a final birdie of the day. Seconds later Dustin Johnson finishes off from a couple of feet at 17 to move to seven under.

South African Charl Schwartzel finishes with three straight birdies to make a 67 that sees him join the bunch with a share of second, five shots behind Rory McIlroy.

Image source, PA

Dustin Johnson (-6) looks set to continue his charge, pitching to within a few feet on 17 as he looks for a sixth birdie of his bogey-free day.

Leaders: -11 - Rory McIlroy; -6 - Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Francesco Molinari, Ryan Moore, Louis Oosthuizen and Rickie Fowler

One more hole for McIlroy and here he is chucking the kitchen sink at another one on 18... dragged it left, playing out of some cabbage...

Scotland's Marc Warren moves to three under par with back-to-back birdies at 11 and 12. Matsuyama leaves himself with too much work to do at 17 and he drops back to -2. Jimmy Walker is four under after a birdie at 16. He was six off the lead, he's not seven, McIlroy squeezed in that birdie putt on 17...

Image source, AFP

McIlroy with his second at 17, he has a mere wedge in and he caresses it to within 10 feet. Johnson for birdie at 16... leaves it right from six or seven feet and stays -6. Poulter moves to +3 with a birdie on 16, he could do with another one to make sure.

Leaders: Rory McIlroy -10; Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Francesco Molinari, Ryan Moore, Louis Oosthuizen and Rickie Fowler -6

Peter Alliss
BBC Sport commentator

"Whether he wants to be or not Tiger's here for the weekend but I'm sure he'd rather be here than not."

Stenson will be hear this weekend, he makes birdie at the last for a 73 and +1 overall. Here's Woods with an eight-footer... nails it! He's here for the weekend, just inside the cut line. But it's a round of 77 and his game is very far from where it once was. Cabrera is also around for the weekend after a smart round of 69, and let's just say he looks far more excited about the prospect than Tiger does.

Woods, who faces a tricky chip over a bunker, has never missed two cuts in a row as a pro and he's got a nasty one coming back for birdie. Massive. Schwartzel makes birdie on 17 to get back to -5 and into a tie for eighth.

McIlroy makes that saver on 16 and that was a handy bit of scrambling from the leader. Woods looks to be toast - his approach at 18 misses to the right and the look on his face says it all: "Where on earth name did my game go?"

Image source, Reuters

McIlroy with the big furniture on 17 and he ding-dongs one down there, that's absolutely gigantic, he's got about 50 yards left. "I want what he's having," says Peter Alliss. I'll gladly take the crumbs from the table...

The bearded Casey for eagle on 18 - uphill, leaves it just left, but will pop in for a round of 71, one over and a weekend spot. Matsuyama for birdie at 16 and his long-range effort curls a little too soon. Jordan Spieth misses his birdie attempt at 16 and stays +2.