David Leadbetter
Leading golf coach on BBC Radio 5 live

"Everyone wants to see the old Tiger though unfortunately we're never going to see the old Tiger. We'll have to see how his stamina holds out all week."

The seventh hole, brutal so far this week and it prompts drastic measures from Tiger woods who leaves his irons in the bag and calls on what looks like a three wood.

The world number seven rarely gets the carpentry out of his bag around here but with 480 yards of unforgiving par four ahead of him, he does so. Lamps it up the middle.

Only 11 birdies on the seventh this week, the fewest on any hole on the course.

Did anyone see Ken Brown's Elephant bunker earlier? It is on the 11th hole.

No it's not shaped like an elephant, it doesn't house an elephant and quite frankly, I have no idea what the elephant link is. All I do know, is Matteo Manassero is in it.

The Italian is four under and could do without the headache and he smashes down into the sand to give himself 10 feet for par.

In all, 44 players are even par or better as things stand and so hopes are high for many.

Sergio Garcia will want it badly, having never won a major but he is in trouble on eight. After a loose drive, he clumps a ball out of the rough and into sand on the testing par four. Cue Rickie Fowler to show his hand from the fairway - he hits the green but runs through. Not having it your own way fellas.

Image source, BBC Sport

Selected others: -3: Adam Scott (Aus), Stephen Gallagher (Sco); -2: Justin Rose (Eng), Darren Clarke (NI), Charl Schwartzel (SA);

Par: Phil Mickelson (US), Jason Dufner (US), Shane Lowry (Ire), Tiger Woods (US), Henrik Stenson (Swe); +1: Ian Poulter (Eng), Luke Donald (Eng).

Set to miss cut (projected at +2): +3: Lee Westwood (Eng); +4 Bubba Watson (US); +7 Jamie Donaldson (Wal); +8 Ernie Els (SA)

Official Open leaderboard, external; Clubhouse scores; Tee times

A four-way lead then. George Coetzee sat with his feet up in the clubhouse while Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka attempt to consolidate their marks at five under in these tricky conditions.

We are being spoilt.

Don't write off 'Bustin' Dustin Johnson, the willowy big-hitter from Jupiter. he tied at the Open in 2011, finished tied for fourth at this year's US Open and has birdied one and three today to move to -3. Jim Furyk with a chance to join the leaders but he forgets to hit his birdie putt at seven, stays four under. Here's Luke Reddy for a bit, while I take a break...

Garcia with a long-range birdie putt at six, he stays five under. Australia's Marc Leishman joins the party at three under with a long-range birdie at 13, Fowler just fails to move to five under with a birdie putt that just misses at six. Here's McIlroy's second to the fourth... safely on...

Image source, PA

Woods can't make that birdie putt coming back, leaving it a shade left, and he stays level after five. Ian Poulter of England is out on the course and he's kicked off with two pars, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell has opened with birdie-bogey. Stenson back to level with birdie at five. Cabrera makes it back-to-back birdies and he's back to +4, suddenly things not looking so grim for the Argentine.

Fowler clipping his approach low and hard into the seventh and he'll have a birdie attempt from 20 feet. Woods's third at five is from just off the front of the green and that's the touch of a panel beater, racing it 30 feet by... Garcia with something like an eight iron at seven, all over the flag like a cheap suit.

Image source, AP

World number one Adam Scott says he needs to be made of sterner stuff if he is to win a first Open title at the weekend.

"It was a good finish, I played lots of good golf today though I made some errors from good spots which is a cardinal sin," the Australian told BBC Sport after posting a one over 73 to sit in the clubhouse at three under.

"It was tough to make putts out there and it was one of those grinding days on the links. Being under par is good but being a little closer to the lead is nice," he added after finishing birdie-birdie to bring himself closer to the pacesetters.

"I'm playing very well, I just have to eliminate those mistakes and play a little tougher over the weekend I think."

Four-way lead now, as Brook Koepka rolls in from four feet at 11 to move to five under, alongside Coetzee, Garcia and McIlroy. The Florida man has four wins on the Challenger Tour and tied for fourth at this year's US Open.

Manassero for par at eight and he tweaks it left, drops to four under. Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel very much in the mix, birdie at the first and he's two under through three second-round holes. McIlroy with a six-footer for par at the third, he stays five under, Francesco Molinari is on the ropes, follows that double with a bogey at nine, the Italian now three under and two off the lead.

There's a three-way tie for the lead with George Coetzee, Sergio Garcia and McIlroy all on five under.

9th (Dowie)

Par three, 197 yards

Image source, Getty Images

Bunkers front left and right protect a narrow green. There is a steep drop-off slope on the left-hand side of the green that leaves you an extremely tough chip or putt.

2006 difficulty rating: 11 2014 difficulty rating: 11

Garcia with a 25-footer for birdie at six, comes up a few feet short, pops in for par. McIlroy with his second to three, eight iron, through the back. Former champion Louis Oosthuizen has opened up with a birdie, as he did yesterday, and is three under. Manassero conjures some magic from a green-side bunker at seven and taps in for par to stay five under. Shot gone for Bjorn, though, the seventh proving the hardest stretch on the course.

Woods, as was the case yesterday, has taken a while to warm up and here he is parachuting to within a few feet at four. Garcia at six, with eight iron from 180 yards... bit of luck, rolls back on from a green-side hillock. Molinari makes a double on eight, meaning he drops to -4 and there is a four-way tie for the lead at five under. Brooks Koepka is having a right old ding-dong with the course - bogeys at seven, eight and nine, eagle at 10, back to four under. Woods can only make par at four...

Fowler with back to back birdies at four and five, he's now four under. Garcia rams home his 12-footer for birdie at five, moves to five under. McIlroy makes par at the second, stays five under, Matsuyama drops to -3 after a bogey.

Image source, AP

Justin Rose, hot off two wins in his last two tournaments, produced stunning back-to-back chip-ins at the par-three ninth for birdie and par-five 10th for eagle in his second round.

The Englishman shot a second-round 70 to reach two under in the clubhouse. A handy position given the afternoon's more testing conditions.

"The birdie at the ninth happened at an important time," he said. "The shot on 10 was a similar type shot, one you hope to get up and down but when they fall it is a big boost.

"It has kept me within touch. I have been playing well enough to think I can have a good weekend. I haven't had my run yet and hopefully I've ridden out some of the tough times. I have a lot of work ahead, but keeping myself within touch has been important."

Watch Rose's chips on the golf index and see more highlights by clicking on the Highlights tab above.

Japan's Hideki Matsuyama is out of the traps with a birdie and the 22-year-old is four under, two off the current lead. He likes a spot of links, he finished sixth last year. Woods makes his par at the third, remains level. Garcia out of a deep-faced trap at five, might have to make do with a par. Par for Manassero at the devilish seventh, he stays one off the lead.