Hideki Matsuyama nailed birdie on six and on seven he has just eight feet for another. Not a lot of break in this. He stands all in black, motionless... straight in. Routine stuff.

Someone call 999. Austin Connelly is on fire! The young Canadian looks like a church choir boy, but underneath those angelic looks and floppy hair is a stone-cold assassin.

An opening birdie was good, an eagle on the second is simply sensational. And he does not even look excited.

A nine-iron approach takes one short hop on the green before disappearing down the hole quicker than a shy rabbit.

Tom Fordyce
Chief sports writer at Royal Birkdale

The skies over Royal Birkdale are a tale of two forecasts as Jordan Speith limbers - perfect blue on the coastal side, apocalyptic black inland. The battle between the two weather systems may well decide the success of this third round: will it be the benign low scoring conditions relished by Branden Grace, or the deluge that wrecked rounds on Friday afternoon?

On the first, Brooks Koepka is in all sorts of strife. To the right of the green his ball is in ankle-height grass and he has a ridge to lift over in front him. He digs down and does as well as he could, leaving 12ft or so for his par.

His playing partner Ian Poulter stands stiff still over a birdie putt from range but there are no prizes for leaving things short. He has to tidy up now, knee-knocker... misses. The nightmare start.

Koepka, misses too. Both men flounder on one.

Image source, Getty Images

Matt Kuchar, driver in hand, to show Jordan Spieth the way... that is down the middle. A stomach-settler of an opening shot.

Spieth isn't quite as content with his opening gambit. The leader tugs his drive left, into the rough. He chucks a pinch of grass into the air. And not because he is happy.

"U-S-A! U-S-A!" The American fans in the house greet Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar with an enthusiastic chant. The rest of the Birkdale crowd opt for a round of applause.

Meanwhile on the 15th, another American rolls in a short birdie putt on the 15th. Dustin Johnson is six under for the day. Branden Grace's record-breaking 62 is already under pressure...

Image source, Getty Images

Ian Poulter almost lost his PGA Tour card earlier this year but he tells Sky Sports his spirits are now rapidly changing: "It's a bonus week having qualified at Woburn. I feel good about my game. Today we have calmer conditions and we are going to have to be aggressive.

"The greens are receptive. It's about enjoying the round, getting up for it with the crowd. It has been amazing, everytime I walk to the green I get a massive ovation. I am going to feed off them. I was at the bottom for confidence. It has been a rough 18 months but I can see the confidence tank filling up."

Contrasting fortunes on the first green for Austin Connelly and Richie Ramsey.

Connelly knocks in a birdie putt with the minimum of fuss, then Ramsay putts for par... he pulls it. The Scot looks at his stick, then towards his caddie. Don't think either are to blame.

I'm not sure what Rory McIlroy mumbled to himself a moment ago and it may not have been fully clean but it was along the lines of: "oh my goodness me, wow."

His putt on two looks terrific but just breaks out, it'll be par only. His playing partner Gary Woodland gives one back, his par save breaks right and misses.

Image source, Reuters

Either Richie Ramsay had too many beans for his breakfast, or adrenaline is pumping through his veins. He's through the back on the first.

Not an ideal lie either. The Scot can't ground his club, a tuft of grass getting in the way. A clean connection is key, that's what he gets, the ball hitting the downslope and rolling past the pin. Decent result.

"This is game number 38, on the tee from the USA, Brooks Koepka..."

Koepka takes two practice swings, three wood in hand, a whipping sound followed by "FORE LEFT". That ball in in with spectators.

"On the tee from England, Ian Poulter..."

A big ping as the ball leaves the tee and he's sent that right out there. A huge drive up the fairway, right side. He will probably not be able to see the green because of a mound but he's well in range.

Rory McIlroy takes his iron to his ball on the second fairway and stares at the ball in flight longingly. His glare is intense, the shot is solid and that leaves 30ft for birdie. Back to the first tee now where we have an Englishman chasing his own history...

Image source, .

Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay is brilliantly placed going into day three and he knows how to win, with three successes on the European Tour, the most recent of which came in 2015.

The world number 169 packs a mean fist pump, so if he gets it done, look out for it, he brought it out big time when victorious in the past.

At 34, he's only ever made the cut in a major once, finishing 58th. So, all being well, he's in for a big weekend.

Experience is key on the Open links, they say. Young Canadian Austin Connelly is making a mockery on that on his debut.

The world number 524 is on the leaderboard at the halfway stage, confidently knocking his opening tee-shot down the middle.

Scotland's Richie Ramsay is playing alongside him, pulling his tee shot into the wispy rough on the left.

Watch this incredible shot by Rickie Fowler on the par-four fifth hole. So close to a hole-in-one albatross.

Here's Branden Grace speaking to BBC Radio 5 live after shooting the first ever 62 in a major: "We knew what the score was, but I had no idea I was about to shoot the lowest round ever. It's nice to get in the zone like that, when you don't really know what's going on.

"My main thing was not wanting to finish with a bogey. To seal the thing was pretty special.

"I was in the zone, trying to finish the round and it's never nice to finish with a bogey. After I made it, my caddie told me the situation and that made it even better.

"It's awesome. Dustin (Johnson) is playing well as well so I'm sure he has a chance - but I'll like it while it lasts.

"I'm playing some good golf, hopefully I can go out tomorrow and play well."

BBC Radio 5 live commentator Jay Townsend revels in "watching history" at Royal Birkdale this afternoon.

Some users may have to click on the link to view the content

Image source, Getty Images

Rory McIlroy stands over his five footer and his roll is so confident. Beautifully done.

Branden Grace and Dustin Johnson have gatecrashed the leaderboard. Surely they can't stay up there in these scoring conditions?

Three matches are left to go out...

15:35 Austin Connelly (Can), Richie Ramsay

15:45 Brooks Koepka (US), Ian Poulter

15:55 Matt Kuchar (US), Jordan Spieth (US)