"Go one Shane.... go on Shane".

Those cheers come deep from the guts of those present and the leader touches his cap and raises a finger. A big tee shot coming up.

His heart is probably thudding out of his chest.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

The crowds along the first are a few deep as they get into position ready to see the leading group out in around 10 minutes’ time.

The wind is picking up - it’s very much swirling, changeable gusts that are going to prove tricky to read for the players.

Jordan Spieth birdied the second, but a par putt at the third shapes away and he has to settle for a bogey at the next.

Brooks Koepka, yellow shirt over a white base layer, first tee... hook. Rough.

He has to find seven shots, a big ask. He can however make a bit of history if he can reach second place as no player has ever finished first or second in all four majors in a single year. He will do so if he gets in that position here.

JB Holmes is teeing it up now... hook left... out of bounds could be coming here... out of bounds could be coming here.... out of bounds. A slam dunk.

Reload JB my man, reload.

Image source, Getty Images

Ahead of Rose and Fowler, the two W's are on the green. Lee Westwood has a short one for par - but it rattles around the hole to squirt off to the side for a bogey. Danny Willett, by contrast, nervelessly seals a par to start

Image source, Reuters

So to our front four runners. Brooks is teeing it up...

Game 35 heads out, and first up Rickie Fowler's tee shot flies to the right, through the spectators and under the rope to go out of bounds. Having seen that unnerving start, Justin Rose splits the fairway comfortably.

Image source, .

Our front four runners are about to tee it up.

Shane Lowry will be with us in a few minutes.

Here's a fat lady singing. You get me?

Andrew Murray
BBC Radio 5 live reporter at Royal Portrush

Image source, Getty Images

When Danny Willett won The Masters in 2016 he was also playing with Lee Westwood. The two of them are good mates and they'll put each other at ease.

Big cheers for the English pair at the first tee, with Danny Willett finding light rough on the left while Lee Westwood is safe and sound in the centre of the fairway.

The wind is picking up - and a five pound note is blowing around a fairway, at least until a sizeable course official stamps on it and claims finder's keeper's.

Andrew Priestley: Lowry’s 4 shot lead is effectively a 5 or 6 shot lead if you factor in the fact that he is one of the very best bad-weather golfers on tour. Couple that with the fact that he has only made 3 bogeys all week and it’s very much his to lose.

Jon Rahm and Tony Finau arrive on the first. My colleague is not happy that Finau is teeing off wearing a jacket with a hood on it. Practical I say, given the impending weather.

Both get good cheers but both make somewhat disappointing starts, Finau finds the rough while Rahm is in the bunker.

Francesco Molinari's time as Open champion is almost at an end, but he's finished his title defence in decent style.

The Italian's final round included an eagle three at the 12th. His five under 66 is going to be very hard to beat as the weather begins to bite.

And as he departs the 18th he lobs his ball up into the crowd - but he underclubs his chuck, the ball falls back and nearly hits him on the head. Stick to the day job, Francesco...

Image source, Getty Images

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

Image source, BBC Sport

The hype is such that people are trying to get a glimpse of the action - or at least the course - by any means necessary.

Mind you, I wouldn’t fancy being out there when the wild weather kicks in later...

BBC Sport's Adam Pope has been at more post-round news conferences than we can count this week.

These are the out-takes - Lee Westwood talking about having his girlfriend on the bag, Tommy Fleetwood's sartorial elegance, Eddie Pepperell's practice routine and Andrew 'Beef' Johnston's tourism plans are all in there

Image source, Getty Images

Portrush head professional Gary McNeill: "A very good start with potential for real drama. Placement off the tee is key. There is a bunker on the right at 262 yards and one on the left at 291 so the guys will hit something that does not reach that second hazard. It will be a mid to short iron up a steep incline to the green. If they are attacking a front pin, a false front comes into play and balls could easily spin back down the hill. The majority will be happy with an opening par."

A pair of past champions have arrived at hole one, Henrik Stenson and Jordan Spieth.

Stenson's tee shot is pretty much perfect, nice and straight and on the fairway. Surely a birdie to begin with for the Swede.

Spieth is not so smart off the tee. It bends and right and is into the rough. Work to do.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

Image source, BBC Sport

Shane Lowry has just been spotted by eagle-eyed fans as he took the players’ walkway that crosses from the clubhouse, over the spectator village and behind the first tee grandstand towards the practice range.

That’s where all the leading names currently are, putting the finishing touches together in preparation for their final rounds.

No matter where you are on the course, you know when Matt Kuchar is teeing off. That's because there's that familiar sound of a few hundred people shouting "Kuuuuucch".

But there's another sound that rises above them. That's the cheers for Shane Lowry as he heads towards the practice green.

"Go on Shane!" "Go on!" those gathered around there shout.

There's a big, beaming smile on the Irishman's face. If he's nervous, he is keeping it very, very well hidden.

The weather will make it tricky for some of those out there today to replicate these stunning shots from yesterday...