And then there were four.

After Ian Poulter's bogey, we're left with four players tied for the lead... for now.

Richard Bland is the sole English representative. In fact, he's the only non-American.

Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Matt Kuchar are the others leading the charge.

That is fantastic from Jordan Spieth.

His ball was nestled on a bank to the left of the green, tucked away in the fringes and teasing the American that he was never going to make par from there.

Spieth reaches for his lob wedge and guides it towards the flag, it lands five feet short and rolls on before dropping into the cup.

That's how to maintain your lead.

We know the course is playing a lot harder today.

Here's a stat to back that up.

Yesterday there were 616 bogeys, double bogeys or worse in the whole first round.

So far today, there have been 684.

Ian Poulter's momentum has finally come to a grinding halt, with his first bogey in 26 holes.

He misses a par putt on the 16th to drop to three under, a shot off the leaders.

'What a way to finish' - watch as Chris Wood eagles from the fairway on the 18th.

Jordan Spieth has a more cavalier approach to the rain.

He found the bunker from the 10th tee and could only play out halfway up the fairway.

It's going to be tricky to make par from here, using his third shot to approach the green on the par four.

The Texan is completely drenched. It's a long, soggy walk towards the flag.

Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and Korea's Sung-hoon Kang are putting a little bit of pressure on that leading five-way at the top.

They're both a shot behind at three under.

The conditions are awful out there. Henrik Stenson takes his approach to the 10th and then sprints back under his caddie's umbrella to avoid the rain.

It's making it interesting.

Ian Poulter is one of those now sharing the lead.

He'll have to negotiate a bunker at the 16th if he wants to stay there.

He's out on to the edge of the fairway. "Sit down," he screams, and the ball obeys on its way to the green to give the Englishman a chance to keep this flawless second round run going.

Richard Bland drops out of the lead.

It's been a fantastic start from the 44-year-old, but the sixth is notoriously tricky and it claims a shot from the Englishman.

But hang on... over on the ninth, Jordan Spieth has bogeyed too. That means Bland is back in the lead, which is now shared by five players.

A wet and windy Royal Birkdale is taking its toll.

Now Ian Poulter is in the sand.

We haven't seen that very often today. How's his bunker play shaping up? He sends some sand sprawling through the air... it's cold and wet, the kind you used to find embedded in your sandwiches during a picnic at the beach.

Among that shower of sand his ball pops out and on to the green, but it's spinning a little too early and leaves him with a tricky putt for birdie.

That's a great line, it's rolling towards the cup, but just kisses the edge and stays up. Hard luck, Poults.

Hideki Matsuyama just snarled at the par-three seventh, a hole averaging 3.28 blows. His iron from the tee leaves just three feet and in she goes. Brooks Koepka only makes par.

Thomas Pieters is a big man with an even bigger future,

He's absolutely ice cold, too, and has done well to steady the ship after a couple of bogeys that could have drowned out his round.

The Belgian reaches the turn at level par for the afternoon after a long-range birdie putt stays up on nine. Not a flicker of emotion. Just on to the next one.

Not many people managed an under-par round today, but Rory McIlroy did with two-under 68.

Fancy watching some of his best bits? Of course you do.

On Thursday evening, Stuart Manley will have been wondering what all the fuss was about at thing they call The Open.

The 38-year-old Welshman had carded a two-under 68 and was just three off the lead.

Fast forward a day and he is not going to be making the cut. In fact, Manley looks like he may have the unwanted statistic of biggest difference in scores between rounds at this year's tournament.

He had seven bogeys and three doubles in an 11-over 81, that was 13 shots worse than Thursday.

Image source, Reuters

Richard Bland, for the lead from the fringe of the fifth green... looks good, looks very good... stops on the lip. He bends at the knees in frustration.

Justin Thomas will be relieved to get out of that par-three seventh with a birdie after finding himself in a bunker at the edge of the green.

He's been in all sorts today. Sand, gorse, long grass... throw in a few red squirrels and it's almost like having a stroll down the coast in nearby Formby.

Brooks Koepka recovers into the fairway after a rancid drive on six but even with his biceps, he can't make the green on this long par four. A flopped chip is over the flag and leaves 12ft for par... missed. He no longer shares the lead.

Jordan Spieth is in the sand on eight too and can only pitch out into the fairway so pretty soon, Richard Bland could be our outright leader. Spieth finds the dancefloor and has nine feet for the save... makes it. That's why he wins majors folks. A grinder.