He's down to the hill to the right of the 10th green, but Rory McIlroy chooses to use his putter and strokes one up towards the flag.

Having watched a few of those not drop today, McIlroy steps up confidently and sinks from about six feet for par on the 10th.   

Henrik Stenson first to putt on the second, up and over a tiny ridge and that's a decent effort, coming to rest a couple of inches to the right of the hole.

Can Phil Mickelson regain his one-shot advantage? The familiar waggle of the feet as he settles into position, his trousers flapping in the freshening breeze. But he's not hit that. Par-par start.

And off they skip to the third, Gyaws. Another par four.

Dustin Johnson takes a tap in birdie at seven to move to four under - that's his second birdie of the day.

He's six off the lead.

Over on the fourth and Sergio Garcia is facing a lengthy par putt to stay five under. It's a two-putt so the Spaniard is giving back the shot he picked up at the third.

Patrick Reed has carded four birdies in a row in the run up to the Postage Stamp, but he then finds the 'coffin' bunker and that streak is spectacularly halted.

Instead it's a bogey for the American at the par-four eighth.

Phil Mickelson is deep in conversation with his caddie Jim 'Bones' Mackay, discussing how the wind will affect this approach. Whatever they discussed worked because the American's ball clatters the flagstick and finishes up eight feet away.

Henrik Stenson and his bagman Gareth Lord pull a nine iron out but he overcooks it slightly. Back edge and an outside look from 20 feet.

Keegan Bradley drops a shot, Zach Johnson saves a shot - there's plenty of American interest in that chasing pack.

Johnson's birdie on the second puts him up alongside his compatriot, with JB Holmes and Bill Haas lurking one behind.

Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen is the man currently closest to joint-leaders Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson though at seven under, and he's through the first two holes at level par.

Not one to get carried away, Henrik Stenson is out with a mid-iron on the par-four 390-yard second and ends up in a perfect position on the fairway.

Phil Mickelson follows suit with the same outcome.

Phil Mickelson waves his hand after the ball as he sends it on the way to the hole but his encouragement doesn't help. A tap-in par.

Here's Henrik Stenson's birdie attempt and that is in all the way. The Swede joins Mickelson at the top of the leaderboard on -10.

Game. On.

Ben Dirs
BBC Sport at Royal Troon

Rory's had enough genuine chances on the front nine to be four or five under. But that's all they were, chances. 'Put some more putts in, Big Man,' says a bloke as McIlroy leaves the ninth green. If only it was that simple.

Des Smyth
Former Ryder Cup vice captain on BBC Radio 5 live

Rory McIlroy has played some fabulous shots on the front nine, but he is not getting much reward for it.

He is pretty frustrated, his only chance now is to play a fantastic back nine.

A nice easy wedge into the heart of the first green for Phil Mickelson and Lefty is all smiles as he strides up to the putting surface.

Henrik Stenson has outdriven Phil by 75 yards and has just 55 to go. Half a dozen practice swings and a little chip up to the front edge, skips on but pulls up a dozen feet short.

It's another birdie for Patrick Reed, four on the bounce and he's quickly climbing that leaderboard again.

Three under for the day, five under for the tournament.

Image source, EPA

Another birdie chance for Rory McIlroy after he gets right underneath his approach to land it around 12 feet from the hole.

That putt was always coming up short, though, and McIlroy raises his putter in frustration. He has to pop it away for par. 

He's one over through the front nine today.

No early drama from our leader either. Phil Mickelson finds the fairway with his first shot of the day. He is on 10 under. Will he still be top of the leaderboard in a few hours' time?

Henrik Stenson is lying second and in contention for his first Open Championship title after coming second three years ago. With a three-wood in hand, he sends it straight down the middle.

Phil Mickelson is the last man to go out, and he is the one they all have to catch. Is the American stressed? No way.

"I don't feel any pressure to win the Claret Jug because I've already won it," says the 2013 champion.

"I would love to add to it. From 10 years ago, when I was playing my best golf, I'm 25 pounds lighter, I'm in better shape, I'm physically stronger and feel better. I'm starting to hit shots the way I did 10 years ago."

The rest of the field will hope his actions today don't match his strong words.

Image source, AP

Henrik Stenson heads out alongside leader Phil Mickelson at 15:20 BST.

It's a familiar sight for Stenson, narrowly trailing Lefty at the Open, as it was Mickelson who beat the Swede to the Claret Jug at Muirfield three years ago.

He made serious inroads on the American's lead yesterday, though, pegging his score back to just one stroke with a six-under second round.

"The way it turned out, I gained quite a lot," said Stenson.

"It's still early in the tournament, though. We're only halfway through. But so far, so good. I'm happy with the way I played the course. It's not easy out there."

Image source, Getty Images