-5 Kuchar (after 8), C Schwartzel (4), J Spieth (14:48 tee-off), B Koepka (15:10)

-3 I Poulter (13:04), J Thomas (14:59), R Bland (15:32), R Cabrera-Bello (1);

Selected others:-2 S Manley (11:47), B Watson, R Ramsay (8), A Connelley (14);

-1 R McIlroy (3), M Fitzpatrick (12:42), T Pieters (14:37), H Stenson (14:48)

Full leaderboard

No escape act for Matt Kuchar on the eighth. That poor pitch on the eight left him with too much work to do with his short stick, needing two cracks to drain his ball.

A shot dropped, an outright lead relinquished.

Rory McIlroy misses the green on the 199-yard par three fourth. Not to worry. He just dinks on a lovely-weighted chip for what *should* be a tap-in for par.

Charl Schwartzel, like he did a few times yesterday, takes all the limelight away from McIlroy and world number one Dustin Johnson with a superb two.

That lifts the 2011 Masters champion into tied second. And he might win a quid off his playing partners if they are having a twos comp.

I hope Rafa and Sophia are watching Happy Gilmore at least once a month...

Some app users may have to click the link to see the video.

"Awww, man." Leader Matt Kuchar is groaning as he lumps short on the par-four eight. What can he do with his third shot? Hmmm. Not much. The American's pitch is poor, racing past the hole and leaving him with a long putt back to save par.

Did someone swap that Rory McIlroy impostor with the real thing at the turn yesterday? He's looked like a different player since then.

That's five birdies in the Northern Irishman's last seven holes, taking him under par for the first time at Birkdale.

Rory McIlroy waits patiently, left arm leaning on his putter, as Charl Schwartzel and Dustin Johnson have a crack at the can.

Johnson nails his par putt to a warm applause, before silence falls as McIlroy addresses his ball.

Eight feet out, a firm prod up... the ball disappears down the drain. Rory is in the red!

Andrew Murray
Former European Tour player on BBC Radio 5 live

Rickie Fowler has exquisite ball control in these conditions. He does it better than most and he's one of my favourites to win.

He has great imagination and is able to play little knock-down shots well enough to keep the ball out of the sand dunes and low enough to keep out of the most blustery winds.

It's a treacherously difficult links day today.

Image source, Getty Images

Rickie Fowler is in the groove. He finds the eighth green, hoping to do what no man has done so far today on the 458-yard par four... sink a birdie. He'll have a job. The American will need a sat nav from his position on the front to find the target.

Some strong groups getting under way later in the day, including day one co-leaders Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka, defending champion Henrik Stenson and home favourite Tommy Fleetwood.

But how will they cope in the worst of the weather?

1448 Henrik Stenson (Swe), Si-woo Kim (Kor), Jordan Spieth (USA)

1459 Louis Oosthuizen (SA), Justin Rose, Justin Thomas (USA)

1510 Brooks Koepka (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)

1521 Brandt Snedeker (USA), J.B. Holmes (USA), Shane Lowry (Ire)

Rory McIlroy strides down the centre of the fairway from the third successive hole. Another short iron in for the Northern Irishman, cutting the ball in from right to left, holding it against the breeze. Nailed. It. McIlroy sniffs another little birdie.

Charl Schwartzel is not so fortunate. He's thinned one through the back of the green.

Phil Mickelson didn't sink a single birdie yesterday. Today he does so at his first attempt.

The leader Matt Kuchar started a little shakily today with a bogey on the second, but a lovely chip in on the third got him back level for the day. It is delightful, have a watch below.

Peter Harvey: Real chance for Matt Kuchar to steal this while weather's relatively good. His The Open debut was Birkdale '98.

Jay Townsend
BBC Radio 5 live golf expert

The early starters such as Matt Kuchar have the best of the conditions. The wind is building up, and at 11:00-15:00 is supposed to be at its strongest, plus at some point we know we will get rain too.

When you are putting cross wind, you are not only playing the slope but also the wind and it's hard to judge the line, and playing shots in the wind could be a difference of three clubs in gusts of around 25mph.

Cross winds are the most difficult and you get a lot of those at Birkdale.

Meanwhile, Rickie Fowler has just dinked in from the edge of the seventh green. Back to back birdies for the American, who is a joint-best two under for the day.

Matt Kuchar is a hole behind his Ryder Cup chum, saving par with a tricky putt to maintain the outright lead.

Nope, not yet. Rory McIlroy bends his knees in anticipation as he waits for his ball to drop. Just need a little bit more. The Northern Irishman twirls his putter in his hand and then does an air shot. He knows that was a chance.

Carin Koch
Former European Solheim Cup captain on BBC Radio 5 live

When it starts going bad, it can keep going bad. It was so smart of his caddie to tell Rory McIlroy those words yesterday to remind him who he is and get his confidence back.

He looks confident today. looks like he belongs, and that he is the Rory McIlroy we know.

Rory McIlroy has torn out of the blocks quicker than Usain Bolt. Another ripper of a tee-shot on the second is followed by a successful green in regulation. A second successive birdie will move him into the red for the first time at Birkdale...