Andrew Johnston, as he has all week, is smiling and giggling as he saunters up the 18th, doffing his cap to his newly-adoring crowd.

The Spanish Open winner has become a cult hero almost overnight at Royal Troon and has played some fantastic golf to reach this point.

He almost makes another birdie from around 20 feet, but it stops short and instead he finishes with a par to card one under for the day, taking Beef to five under in total and placing him fourth on the leaderboard.

Three under-par rounds so far for Johnston, and he'll no doubt be back beaming on Sunday.

Gerald Scott
BBC Sport Online

Straight talking from Lee Westwood after he faded away to a two-over 73 today, having briefly raised hopes with three front-nine birdies, only to bogey four times coming home to finish on four over.

"I played crap," said Westwood. "I hit the ball poorly. That's why I'm four over par."

Andrew Johnston is certainly a fans' favourite at Royal Troon - and the man known as 'Beef' is having a great time out on the course.

One of his highlights has been on the 13th, when he chipped in for a birdie. Now you can see it with this the video below.

Birdie for Henrik Stenson as he capitalises on the par-three 14th with a fantastic tee shot for a short-range putt.

But when you're leading The Open by two on day three, have just birdied the 13th and a hole earlier played your way out of a gorse bush to make par, the 14th must seem straightforward, surely?

No, it's a dropped shot from Phil Mickelson as he three putts having forced his third shot from close range a little, watching it almost bounce out of the cup.

Gerald Scott
BBC Sport Online

With 49-year-old Steve Stricker having today shot a three-under 68 to join fellow fortysomethings Phil Mickelson (46) and Henrik Stenson (40) high on the Open leaderboard, it has further forced up the average age of the leading contenders.

The current average of the top eight is now almost 36.

The comparative rookies in contention are now 27-year-old Andrew Johnston, 26-year-old Tony Finau, 25-year-old Patrick Reed and the baby-faced Tyrrell Hatton, who is only 24.

Andrew Johnston is certainly enjoying this moment. He's high-fived almost every single supporter on the way up to the 18th tee box.

Beef's loving it, and the crowd is loving beef. 

Soren Kjeldsen had been third recently, but that position is now taken by American Bill Haas after a birdie on the 16th.

That means he is on six under overall, although he remains six shots behind the leader Phil Mickelson.

Andrew Johnston sends his tee shot right at the 17th and watches anxiously as it almost rolls down into a bunker. Beef's happy, it's stopped short.  

That's good enough for him to pitch it within seven feet of the pin and the 27-year-old notches another par. He's currently fourth.

Not too long along, Soren Kjeldsen was third. Let's hope you've not get a bet on him to win as he has fallen apart.

He has dropped a whopping five shots in his last five holes, including a double bogey six on the 10th. He is five over for the day through 14 and third place seems a distant memory.

Henrik Stenson sends huge drive straight down the 13th fairway, and then Phil Mickelson arrives slightly short of the Swede.

Lefty's on the green in two, and faced with a birdie putt up the hill from long range he sinks it. Great putting from the five-time major winner.

Stenson is maybe eight or nine feet from the flag, but his birdie attempt breaks right meaning it's par and a two-shot lead for Mickelson.

Birdie putt for Beef however he's a good 20-plus feet out, a little bobble stops it from reaching the hole but it's close enough for the Englishman to tap in for par.

He's back on track following that bogey at the 14th with consecutive pars, but remains six behind the leader Phil Mickelson.

Rolling, rolling, still rolling... Phil Mickelson pitches up on to the green and watches on with a wry smile as his ball gently works its way down towards the flag. Six, seven feet out and he tucks it away to make it nine pars in a row - still no bogeys today for the leader.

Henrik Stenson follows him on the green from further up the fairway, but leaves himself just as tricky a putt. Similar distance, similar outcome though. Stenson pars.

Image source, Getty Images

Rory McIlroy, speaking to Sky Sports, said: "That was tough. I have been saying all week that on the early part of the course, the first seven holes, you need to make scores. But being two over after three was not ideal.

"I thought I was back in it with a birdie on the fourth but I bogeyed the fifth. I had chances on the seventh, eighth and ninth but could not convert them. I wanted to go out in 32/33 but I went out in 37/38 and it is hard to expect myself to shooting something good on the back nine.

"The speed and the wind played a factor with my putting. I did not feel comfortable over them because of the wind. It was tough to make your mind up and commit to something."

We've talked about it, and here it is.

Rory McIlroy let his frustrations get the better of him as he smashed his three wood on the 16th fairway.

The former world number one is level par after three rounds, currently 11 shots behind the leader Phil Mickelson.

Watch the video below to see McIlroy destroy his three wood.

Well, Phil Mickelson skews a wayward tee shot into a spot of bother at the 12th, but the ball rests just in front of the gorse bushes lining the rough. Does he have enough room to dig that one out from there? If it's playable for anyone, it could suit a left hander.

The American does superbly to punch it 100 yards or so up the fairway, almost catching the gorse with his swing but managing to make great contact.

Henrik Stenson comfortably finds the fairway, and the Swede follows up with an eight iron that just falls the wrong side of the bank to make the green, trickling back down the hill.

In the bunker at the infamous Postage Stamp eighth, Bill Haas found himself in loads of trouble.

Well, that is how it looked before the American chipped his way out of the sand - and into the hole. Stunning.

Watch the great shot with the video below.

Wherever Andrew Johnston goes he's enjoying a fantastic following at Royal Troon, low cries of "Beeeeeef" greet him as he chips out of the soggy sand on the 15th and again as he putts for par from seven feet.

The Englishman is five under through 15.

Former Masters champion Adam Scott is celebrating his 36th birthday today.

But the Australian carded a 40 on the back nine, including two double-bogeys to finish on five-over after three rounds. 

Phil Mickelson pops it in for par from six feet, straight down the centre of the cup. Henrik Stenson then approaches from the other side of the hole, takes a knee to find his line and that also drops in like a swoosh.