Phil Mickelson started the day in front, and he is still there. Shots like this recovery shot out of the rough on the sixth show just why.

Phil Mickelson with his second shot on the 11th looks to cut it round the corner and it drops just short of a bunker cupping the green.

Henrik Stenson's approach also falls to that left-hand side, off the green, but he's ahead of the bunker and slightly closer to the flag.

Mickelson takes a walk around the sand, getting a closer look at the run of that green. A couple of practice chip shots, a step back to eye it up again, and then a train whistles past.

That's no bother for Lefty, he lofts one over the bunker and it trickles to within six of seven feet of the pin. Stenson bumps it into the bank and onto the green, he will have a slightly shorter putt.

Sergio Garcia drives into the bunker on the 15th and needs two attempts before he powers his way out of the sand trap. But he is facing the prospect of a double bogey at this one.

Those hoping that the Spaniard will be winning his first major this weekend will probably be left disappointed.

The tee has been brought forward on the 11th because the R&A were worried about forecast high winds. 

The Railway, a 482-yard par-four which has a train track running down the right edge, is statistically the hardest hole on the course, averaging 4.57.

Phil Mickelson looks a little worried as he hooks his ball towards the tracks but he's hit it so bad it won't go that far. It's in the rubbish though.

Henrik Stenson, sensing an opportunity, finds the edge of the fairway.

Soren Kjeldsen's third shot at the Railway 11th is a delicate pitch on to the green as he looks to recover immediately from that double bogey.

He can't hole the putt from inside 10 feet though, and it's another dropped shot for the Dane. 

The 41-year-old is quickly falling away from the top of that leaderboard, dropping four shots in four holes to head into the 12th at four under.

Andrew Johnston follows his birdie by dumping his tee shot on the par-three 14th into a greenside bunker. He flicks the ball out of the claggy sand but he's left himself 15 feet for par. It shaves the hole but he's dropping.

Playing partner Sergio Garcia will have a birdie chance from closer in to get back to four under. Get in Sergio. Back to four under after three bogeys on the back nine.

Henrik Stenson badly misjudges his approach, leaving his ball 30 feet from the hole but that's no bother for the Swede. A great par save and just 13 putts from his first 10 holes.

Phil Mickelson putts his first effort three feet by but sinks the return to stay one ahead. Nine pars and one birdie for Lefty today.

Zach Johnson's hold on the Claret Jug looks to be slipping away, he double bogeyed the 10th - his second double of the day - and is now back at two under on +3 for Saturday's round.

The defending champion is out with compatriot Tony Finau, also at two under for the tournament through 11.

Image source, PA

Andrew Johnston chips in on 13 for a birdie and the Englishman is suddenly up to joint third with Bill Haas. He couldn't, could he? Go on 'Beef'.

Meanwhile, a towering iron from Phil Mickelson finds the front edge of the 10th green. Follow that Henrik.

Stenson's effort from similar distance almost disappears into the clouds before plummeting with a thud some 20 yards short of the green.

Soren Kjeldsen had to play out of some nasty rough with both his second and third shots at the par four 10th to leave a 60 foot attempt, from off the green, to make a par.

His subsequent up and down was not too successful and that left a 10 footer just for a bogey. However, that putt was horribly underhit and it is a double bogey for the Dane.

He was on his own in third at the start of that hole, he leaves it in tied fifth.

So Rory McIlroy finishes Saturday's round in 73. A frustrating day for the Northern Irishman that began with three bogeys in his first four holes.

McIlroy seemed to steady the ship, and didn't drop another shot until the 15th. But a hole later and he was throwing his three wood into the ground.

The world number four eventually made it back into the clubhouse at two over, his worst round of the week so far, and that puts him level for the tournament.

On to the 10th they go. Sandhills. One of the blind tee shots. Both Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson clear the vegetation in front of them and come to rest side-by-side on the right of the fairway.

Up ahead, Soren Kjeldsen has just dropped two shots to go back to five under.

Mickelson and Stenson are starting to run away with this. This run of holes is now crucial. Ten, 11, 12 and 13 are the hardest on the course.

Both Bill Haas and playing partner Charl Schwatrzel come up short on the 12th, directly into the wind.

Haas, whose best Open Championship finish was tied for 19th in 2012, is level since the turn and has now moved up to tied third.

Schwartzel has already dropped two shots on the back nine, but the pair scramble par on this one though, which keeps the South African tied ninth.

Henrik Stenson first up. He's about four inches off the green but out with the Texas Wedge. A great lag putt and a solid par-four to stay 10 under.

Phil Mickelson from further off the green but closer in, also takes the putter. It's all uphill and you need to hit it harder than that. Still it's a par and a one-under opening nine. You'd imagine he's fairly content with that.

Soren Kjeldsen was third, but he may not be for long as he is in trouble on the 10th. He finds some deep rough, on the side of a steep bank.

He hacks his way out of that, but the result is not a good one, as he goes left of the green, back in another heavy bit of rough.

He is level par through nine today, and seven under overall. Well, at the moment, anyway.

Phil Mickelson is out with an iron on the par-four ninth, playing to find the fairway. He is one under after his opening eight holes.

Perfect position for Phil and his second is right on line. Five yards short though.

Henrik Stenson, who also found the short stuff, finds the green but his ball hops forward and off to the left.

Over on the 12th, Andrew Johnston has a birdie opportunity but his 20-footer dribbles left and he stays five under.

He may have broken his three wood after throwing it on to the ground during the 16th, but McIlroy then recovers to make a par at that hole, before another par at the 17th.

He opts to use the driver on the 18th tee, well, he longer has the option of using the three wood, after smashing it.