McIlroy and Dustin bomb drives down the second, it's going to be a driving contest between those two today. Garcia likes the second - eagle yesterday, birdie today, back to six under. Offaly's Shane Lowry has gone flying out of the blocks as well, birdies at two, three, five and six, he's now five under.

Matteo Manassero leads the birdie table with 14 this week. One clear of Charl Schwartzel, Rory McIlroy and Jimmy Walker.

Garcia with his second into two and it's decent, could get a shot back there. Rose on a charge, he moves to four under courtesy of a snakey left-to-righter on five. Four in a row for Manassero of Italy, he's back to four under through six. Fowler makes another bird at two, he's now three off the lead. The top of the leaderboard is rocking and rolling.

Leaders: -11 McIlroy; -9 D Johnson; -8 Fowler; -6 Walker, Schwartzel, Furyk

Official Open leaderboard, external

Francesco Molinari lets a shot go at the first, falls to -5. Here's Dustin, and he's only got three feet for a two-shot swing... nailed it, moves to -9 as McIlroy slips to -11. Just, that four-footer dragged its feet.

Calvin Charlton:, external Tiger Woods will be glad that he is starting on the 10th - has struggled on the 1st!

John McEnerney:, external Freaky Friday banished for this week but there is such a thing as a Silly Saturday & McIroy knows about Super Meltdown Sundays! Let's see.

Iffy moment from McIlroy, almost left his bunker shot in there and he's got a 12-footer for par. Tiger Woods on 10, his first hole, makes birdie to move to +1. Shot gone for McIlroy, Furyk has drained a birdie putt on three, he's now six under.

Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport at Hoylake

"Miles to go yet, of course, but just starting to get that feeling there is some sort of destiny at play here for Rory McIlroy this week. A final lingering handshake and firm eye contact with coach Michael Bannon before he sets off for the first tee. Chomping gum in the manner of Tiger Woods as the clock ticks towards the off, McIlroy stares ahead impassively, presumably his "inner peace" kicking in.

"It occurs to me how Woods spoke earlier this week of the serenity he felt at Hoylake in 2006. You just wonder if McIlroy is deliberately trying to imitate the habits of his boyhood idol, or if the great ones are all made of the same stuff. Under a dry sky, he belts his drive away and the great circus leaps into gear once again. "Let the races begin," smiles a snapper scurrying past."

Image source, AP

Young Byeong-Hun has picked up another birdie, he's five under - shots to be made out there. Garcia on two, he made eagle here yesterday, chucking it in from the fairway. Not a good start from Oosthuizen, he's out of the traps with back-to-back bogeys - shots to be lost out there...

Here's Francesco Molinari, whose tee shot at the first has been gobbled up quite cruelly by McIlroy and Johnson. The Italian will be thumping one in with a six iron out of the rough... tugs it left. What news of South Korea's An Byeong-Hun, I hear you cry - birdies at one, three and five, he's five under. McIlroy has found a trap with his approach at one, Dustin stiffs a sand wedge to within six feet - chance to nick a couple of shots here...

Many thanks Andy, this is Ben Dirs. Jimmy Walker with back-to-back birdies at two and three to get to -6, Rickie Fowler birdies the first to moves to -7. Garcia, however, makes five after his travails in the sand, the Spaniard falls to -5 and tied for seventh.

Leaders: -12 McIlroy; -8 D Johnson; -7 Fowler; -6 Walker, Schwartzel, F Molinari

In a nutshell, the par fives. Royal Hoylake boasts four of them and nailing them is as vital as having a putter in your bag if you are to succeed here.

Holes five, 10, 15 and 18 have served up 473 of the 944 birdies this week, not to mention 27 eagles.

This doesn't feel right does it? The leaders teeing off just past 11:00 BST on a Saturday of a major. This two-tee start will hopefully get everyone through before the storms though.

One question it does pose, is have they cloned starter Ivor Robson for those starting on 10? With that, I'll pass you on to Ben Dirs as I take an early break. See you later.

Overnight leader Rory McIlroy, who tees off at 1101: "I feel like I'm ready for whatever conditions come because I've practised the last few weeks in links-type conditions. I've practiced the shots I might need in windy conditions or wet conditions.

"Having that four-shot lead makes it tougher for the guys to catch you. But golf is a very fickle game. Hopefully I can just keep up the solid play for another couple of days."

Image source, Getty Images

Leader Rory McIlroy (-12) tees off and nails it. Nerves? What nerves?

Nightmare start for Sergio Garcia (-6) as finds his second bunker on the first. He is there for three.

Louis Oosthuizen pays the price for finding the thick rough off the tee on one as he misses a 10 foot putt for par. Back to five under for the South African.

Image source, Daily Mail

Rory McIlroy dominates the sport sections of today's papers and while the Daily Mail back page predicts weather would play a part at Hoylake, so far conditions look kind and 17 players are under par so far.

Rory McIlroy, dressed in a light blue polo shirt and cap, strides towards the first tee. The Northern Irishman has a very bouncy walk and looks full of confidence as he is about get his round underway. Why wouldn't he? Her has a four-stroke lead after two almost flawless rounds of golf.

He is greeted with huge cheers from the galleries.

Image source, Getty Images

Rickie Fowler, currently six under, spoke to BBC One on the practice area: "Playing in the rain is never fun in any way. It's not too bad right now and it has a chance to clear up by this afternoon.

"The two tee starts have moved the tee time up a bit but I'm still going off number one and around the leaders group.

"I feel really confident here. It's been good for me in the majors this year so I'm looking forward to putting a solid round together."

The American teed off at 10:50 BST.

Brilliant from Adam Scott (-3) on three as he sets up a birdie chance. Justin Rose rolls a putt for birdie just past the hole on four and stays at three under.