Lee Westwood needs some birdies, but a downhill attempt at the eighth drifts to the left and it's another par - his third in a row.

Danny Willett is closer with his go at a birdie, but it grazes the cup and scoots past.

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Heck of a reception for Graeme McDowell as he walks down to the 18th green. The Northern Irishman and home hero takes a moment to soak it all up, doffing his cap to those around him.

It's not been a memorable day for him on the course - he's set to finish on five over for the day - but that reception will stick with him for a long, long time.

Shane Lowry might be five clear on the seventh. But it could have been all so different had Tommy Fleetwood's birdie putt dropped and Shane's bogey putt missed...

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Here's where the leaders are, the third-easiest hole on the course this week, averaging 4.87 strokes as a par five.

Portrush head professional Gary McNeill: "The first of the two new holes is a very strong par five from an elevated tee into the valley with natural high dunes along the right side, separating the course from the beach. There is a big bunker on that flank which requires a 300-yard carry. The hazard is a nod to the famous "Big Nelly" bunker that was on the old 17th. The second shot is uphill and the landing area narrows as you get nearer a green that has plenty of undulations. It should be in range after a good tee shot despite playing into the prevailing wind."

Coming up for our leaders is a par five and Shane Lowry gets a nice start by crushing a drive up the middle.

Tommy Fleetwood... 586 yards to go... DEEP TROUBLE! Thick rough.

Lowry put the pressure on and Tommy felt it.

Image source, Reuters

So given the dominant position Shane Lowry is in, we want to know of famous sporting meltdowns you've seen or maybe been a part of.

Hit us up on #bbcgolf.

Iain Carter
BBC Sport golf correspondent at Royal Portrush

Image source, Getty Images

You go back to 1992 and Nick Faldo winning, the last English winner of The Open Championship, he famously was able to grind out the pars after the pars. I think if you offered Lowry par golf all the way in he'd take it in a heart beat.

You can listen to Iain and the team by clicking play at the top of this page.

A hell of a par save from Tommy Fleetwood on six. Iron off the tee, chip past the flag and a downhill putt with break in it to make the par. A fist clench as he knew a miss there and it was curtains. Big Shane in for par.

THE LEAD IS STILL FIVE.

Image source, PA Media

Shane Lowry pulls his face quite a lot. I've seen it come out when his ball is in flight and also when he's working out what shot to play.

It comes out again as he safely finds the green on six and it will smoothly transition into a smile as Tommy Fleetwood comes up short and right on the par three.

I'm going to say Lowry has a hand and two fingers on the Claret Jug.

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Mark Chapman
BBC Sport presenter

It's blustery and wintry, it certainly doesn't feel like July.

Another birdie chance goes begging for Lee Westwood at the par five seventh - his putt is weak and it dribbles off to the left.

But Danny Willett nails his to go back up to nine under.

Image source, PA Media

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

I’m never making it as a weather reporter...

Tommy has whipped out the waterproof trousers - shielded as he pulls them on by his 2018 Open umbrella - and the wind has suddenly picked up along these coastal holes, bringing the rain in sideways.

That’s more like the links conditions we were expecting.

Click on the leaderboard at the top of the page for live scores.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Tony Finau has just broken a run of pars with a birdie on the par-five seventh.

He's up to eight under but will be relying on either an incredible run from himself or an incredible capitulation from those ahead of him to have a shout of winning.

Image source, EPA

Tommy Fleetwood has his eagle putt on five and it lacks conviction, which will give him birdie but no more.

That won't be too bad if Shane Lowry misses this birdie putt. Ha, dream on, the ball does exactly what he tells it to do and simply will not defy the master of this week.

"You go in the hole."

Ball: "Yes Shane."

THE LEAD IS STILL FIVE!

Image source, Getty Images

Brooks Koepka sums up why golf is a game that will drive you slightly mad.

Bogey-bogey-bogey-bogey-eagle.

A crackerjack tee shot on four saw him reach the green on this par four and he strokes the eagle putt home with the confidence not normally associated with a man who has rattled off a string of bogeys.

I mean seriously, 16 under. Are you having a laugh? Is he playing a different course or something?

Image source, Getty Images

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

The conditions aren’t too bad at the minute and the consensus seems to be it might stay this way. Light rain and a bit breezy.

The fear is that storms, and potentially lightning, might hit during the presentation.

And you don’t want to be hoisting the Claret Jug into the air when that happens.