Lovely stroke Robert MacIntyre, lovely stroke.

It's six feet and it's confidently rolled home for birdie on the 12th. That takes the world number 146 to four under and leaves him just one shot off the pace being set by Shane Lowry.

Image source, Getty Images

Graeme McDowell is steady Eddie out there.

He acknowledges another solid par on 10 with a single finger raised to the cloudy sky.

John Murray
BBC Radio 5 Live commentator

David Duval has holed out to sympathetic applause on the par-five seventh. He's just walked past me, very stern-faced.

I asked the scorer how many shots he had taken and he told me "I lost count" and he will have to speak to the match referee.

David Duval is having a meltdown of Rory McIlroy proportions.

According to BBC Radio 5 Live's John Murray, he hit three tee shots on the par-four fifth - the hole that is giving up birdies for fun. He walked off with an eight.

On the par-five seventh, he is not faring any better. Iain Carter is struggling to count the score. He thinks the 2001 Open champion may have played nine and is still well short of the green.

Our reporter Alex Bysouth adds: There’s a backlog on the seventh as David Duval played the wrong ball - that’s a two-shot penalty for starters. He had to go back to the tee, then found the rough again and duffed a chip barely on to the fairway. Looking at double figures..."

We'll keep you posted...

Oops. Shane Lowry goes left off the 16th tee but, wait a minute... Looks like the Irishman knows something we don't.

The ball curls back in and ends up in a good position to chip onto the green of the par three.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

You can see the angst on Rory McIlroy’s face, whispers of “c’mon Rory” as he tees off at the sixth from the crowd willing him to turn things around.

The rest of Royal Portrush must be empty, everyone is watching this story unfold.

Paul Casey ushers an almost calming word up on the green, telling Rory he’s good to play.

Henrik Stenson is a bit of bother at 10 as his tee-shot takes a turn-off from the main carriageway into some thickish rough.

The Swede hacks out a fine recovery though.

He is up to within 12 feet. A birdies from there would be a rescue job worthy of the Thunderbirds.

Image source, Getty Images

Did you know that 20 of the last 21 major winners entered the week in the top 25 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

The exception was Jimmy Walker, who won the US PGA from number 48 in the world.

So if top-25 is pretty much key, you can rule out Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Eddie Pepperell, Jordan Spieth, Alex Noren and many, many more.

Webb Simpson out on his own.

The American is on such a hot streak he is leaving scorch mark on the Portrush turf.

He sweeps in a long-range birdie putt on the par-three 13th to move to five under.

Five birdies in his last six holes. Handles that man with asbestos gloves at the moment.

Shane Lowry bends over in frustration as his birdie putt skirts round the left of the hole.

The Irishman is still going steady, though. Just the one bogey today.

He's playing with Phil Mickelson, who is starting to pick things up after a birdie on the 14th, and Branden Grace.

Bad news for Roman Langasque and Xander Schauffele as they drop a shot apiece at 17 and nine respectively.

Image source, Reuters

It’s another stellar tee shot from Shane Lowry on the 15th. He’s loving this course so far.

He finds the green with his second and will have another birdie chance.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at Royal Portrush

You can see the angst on Rory McIlroy’s face, whispers of “c’mon Rory” as he tees off at the sixth from the crowd willing him to turn things around.

The rest of Royal Portrush must be empty, everyone is watching this story unfold.

Paul Casey ushers an almost calming word up on the green, telling Rory he’s good to play.

Gary Woodland looks at the cup in disgust and well he might. His ball loops the cup from his six foot putt and that my friends is a bogey.

No sooner is he under par is he back level. Rory McIlroy showing fine touch on the green as he sends a 40 footer to within the bin lid and makes par. Paul Casey edges through the drag with par too.

Francesco Molinari has fallen foul of the par-three sixth.

It was quite a run though...

Xander Schauffle with a tricksy little lob and run from 70-odd yards on the ninth.

He got the lob, but not quite the run.

A difficult putt to make par now...

Image source, Russ Allen

Russ Allen: Had the pleasure of going to Royal Portrush for the Irish Masters in 2012 and saw Jamie Donaldson win. Also saw the original Big Nelly bunker.

Cracking photo Russ. I'm loving this endless stream of bunkers we are being sent. I'm beginning to think we need some kind of bunker song.

The wind is coming across the course from the West, making the first four holes the place to pick up easy yardage and few strokes.

You turn straight into the teeth of it on the sixth, making things harder from then on in.

Sergio Garcia has leaped up the leaderboard with another birdie on the par-five 12th.

The Spaniard is on a bit of a run now, having birdied the seventh, eighth and 11th, and is one off the lead.

Shane Lowry misses out on the chance to go top by millimetres! His birdie putt curls in from right to left but just stops on the edge of the hole.

The Irishman is still tied for the lead.