Tommy Fleetwood came here with high hopes but he's up against it to make the cut. Needs to find a shot or two. Tommy has 10 straight pars today, which is impressive. On 11 he uses backspin brilliantly. What control, a foot left for birdie.

Now, speaking of making the cut, what does Monty think is a realistic position to challenge from?

Image source, Getty Images

Well played, Ian Poulter.

A level par round to stay within touching distance of the frontrunners.

He navigates the 18th with his 16th par of the day, only dropping a shot at the 16th having made birdie at the 12th.

In. The. Mix.

Image source, PA

Image source, Getty Images

A few moves and drops suddenly as Hideki Matsuyama makes bogey on 10. He found the sand off the tee, wedged into rough, found the green and then skirted a putt close.

Jordan Spieth rolls in after that corker of a tee shot on 12, birdie. Henrik Stenson from much further out gets it done for birdie too. What a lovely weight from Stenson, that ball just plopped over the front edge.

The umbrellas are away, the scores are picking up a tad.

Oooo. That's not a nice run for Richard Bland. He plays out of the rough on the 10th and catches the edge of the green, but watches his ball disappear in the opposite direction, away from the flag.

The Englishman chips on but leaves himself with work to do to save par. It's a solid putt, 13 or 14 feet from home, and it drops!

Justin Rose has dropped three shots today to fall back to four over par, although that's still currently inside the projected cut line.

He's in a three-ball with Justin Thomas and Louis Oosthuizen.

Birkdale day two has been just as unkind to them. Thomas, after his nine at the par-four, is six over par for the tournament after starting the day at three under.

Oosthuizen, meanwhile, is way out on 11 over.

Jordan Spieth could be about to open up a gap here. His last two holes have produced scintillating finishes and now on 12 he bullets a tee shot to within two feet of the pin. This is a move, this is a move.

Brace yourselves.

Image source, Getty Images

Colin Montgomerie
Former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie on BBC Radio 5 live

This guy is something else on the greens. I'm sure that putt went in because of his previous hole where he chipped in. He has that momentum now.

You can listen to Monty and the 5 live team now. Click 'BBC Coverage' at the top of this page.

Ian Poulter splits the fairway with a rasping driver from the 18th tee. That flies over the shrubbery lurking beyond the tee box and well on its way up to the final green.

He's level for the day, Poults. Two shots off the lead, you'd have to think he'd be happy to head into the clubhouse like that.

Jordan Spieth then, can he follow Henrik Stenson into the cup and take the lead on his own? It's a long one, it's a long one, oh Jordan you little menace you. What a putt young man. If you weren't already a multi-millionaire I'd sign up to your official fan club.

Leader. Again.

Richard Bland has attracted a small following of hardcore fans who are not following Spieth, Poulter, Koepka or the like.

He tees off at the ninth to a smattering of applause, trying to rectify two bogeys in his previous three holes.

Man, Henrik Stenson has just smoked one into the 11th green. From the middle of the fairway he sneaks from under his umbrella to absolutely lamp one in there to within a foot. That will be a birdie and back to level par. Jordan Spieth is on the dancefloor too but is 30ft away from the pin.

Stenson though, wow. Ice Man on fire.

Image source, Getty Images

Can Ian Poulter move back into a share of the lead?

He'll have to convert from around 20 feet if he is to do so. The Englishman has a birdie in his sights at the par-five 17th.

It's a good pace, downhill right to left, but it moves too far left and he'll tap in for par instead.

Image source, Getty Images

So Paul Casey was seven over for the day on his 40th birthday. Needless to say he may not want a big birthday bash tonight. What a way to bring up a landmark day.

With this in mind, please send us in tales of your nightmare birthdays. We welcome all, though there'll be bonus points for any stories linked to the golf course.

Tweet us on #bbcgolf.

Richard Bland is no longer sharing the lead, he drops one at the eighth, while up on 17, Ian Poulter has an outside birdie chance to join the leaders. What a round he has had today, incredibly hard fought.

As we await play to really kick in again, let's just revisit one of the meltdowns of the day...

Image source, .

Colin Montgomerie
Former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie on BBC Radio 5 live

The conditions were very difficult this morning. For Rory McIlroy to go through the front nine on three under was remarkable. The wind is picking up again now but it will only be 10mph, where as it was really gusting this morning

The greens are now softer and more receptive and slower so you can hit putts more firmly and straighter.

This is the time to play golf.

Colin Montgomerie
Former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie on BBC Radio 5 live

It has been miserable here. It has teemed it down. It is a non-evacuation situation. The staff are squeegeeing the green and the players are waiting in position. Hopefully they will get going shortly.

John Inverdale
BBC Sport commentator

It seems some players are about to play again, so some holes are playable.

The brooms are out clearing the greens of water, and that sounds like the horn...

Play is suspended for the moment.

We'll keep you posted. Obvs.

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at Royal Birkdale

Justin Rose might have put Hampshire on the Open Championship golfing map at Royal Birkdale in 1998 when he holed his famous chip on 18 to finish fourth and win the Silver Medal for finishing top amateur.

But, back at Birkdale today, fellow Hampshire professional Richard Bland did something that his fellow former county team-mate Rose could not do when he went top of the Open leaderboard.

While Rose struggles to make the projected five-over cut, on four over after nine holes in deteriorating conditions on the West Lancashire coast, Bland has so far enjoyed his second round.

Starting on three-under after his first-day 67. he birdied the second and the fourth holes to move joint top on five under, alongside American Jordan Spieth.

But will his moment of fame prove just a 15-minute one?