Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at St Andrews

This corner of the course may get quite congested, but it’s a great vantage spot for fans who can see the par-three 11th, seventh, eighth and 10th greens - they’ve very much enjoyed the last hour or so with Rory McIlroy and this marquee group in town. You also get a real sense of the jeopardy facing players who end in the bunker guarding the 11th green…

This putt is worth watching.

Again and again. And again.

Back. To. Back!

The birdies are flowing more freely than wine for Rory McIlroy.

Took a while for the putter to charge up today, but now it's proving an effective power tool.

McIlroy confidently drops his short birdie putt on the 11th and moves alongside Dustin Johnson on nine under.

The two Camerons are looking over their shoulders as Rory gallops up behind them.

Smith's left himself a full wedge shot into the 18th.

He doesn't want to mess about with the false front here, otherwise the Valley of Sin will gobble the ball up, and he doesn't - flying it well beyond the pin.

It's a birdie putt, but I can't exactly describe it as a 'chance'.

Cam Smith has passed every test so far.

Can he save his par here on the 17th? Of course he can!

What. A. Machine.

A birdie three at the last will see Smith round in 63, matching Rory McIlroy and Paul Broadhurst's record scores at a St Andrews Open from 2010 and 1990 respectively.

McIlroy, back in the eight-under pack with Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton, is finding his groove now.

Are we starting to see him commit a little more? Or is it just as simple as the confidence is flowing a touch extra now?

Either way, he shapes a gorgeous tee-shot on the par-three 11th and has another good glimpse of a birdie.

Cam Smith has reached the treacherous Road Hole and finds himself right of the green in two.

He's out with the putter. It's a smart play, but he'll have to give it a good old whack to get it up the slope. He does, but his ball still comes up at least 10 feet shy.

A tester for the leader...

In fact, McIlroy is on the 10th green. No wonder it was cheered louder than a Happy Gilmore drive.

That leaves a 20-foot putt for an eagle...here it goes... sliding along the grass with the sleekness of a bobsled on the ice.

Looking good... oh! Ball veers off track in the final stages. A birdie will have to do.

That's what Xander Schauffele must settle for too, although he is not far off with his eagle putt either.

Collin Morikawa can't buy a birdie at the moment.

Cameron Young hates his approach to the 15th, remonstrating angrily as his ball comes up woefully short.

Must have been a mishit. His third is much tidier, however, and he may just get out of here with a par.

But he doesn't! It slides by on the right and Smith's lead will stretch back out to three.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at St Andrews

“Rory, Rory, Rory!” Is the chant echoing across St Andrews as the evening ticks in. Besides Tiger, there’s no one who quite catches the imagination of this crowd like the four-time major champion.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent on Radio 5 Live

Penny for Rory's thoughts - he won't be pushing any panic buttons.

He knows you have to go low here. I think from what I'm seeing he seems very within himself.

Whooosh! Rory McIlroy has unleashed a drive full of venom from the 10th tee. That could nestle up close to the green.

Graeme Storm
Two-time European Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 live

It is quite solid - Now Rory has to take his chances with the holes that are downwind.

The putter has also let Collin Morikawa down.

Nothing has dropped for the defending champion.

It's another bogey for him and, unless he bucks his ideas up, the American will be heading to the airport in the morning.

Cam Smith's almost halfway to joining John Daly in the 'Mullet Open winners' club.

Cam Smith's found another green in regulation, because of course he has.

He needs the binoculars to see the pin from where he is. No way, he hasn't made this one as well has he?!

No, not this time, but it wasn't far away. It was an aggressive effort, too, and he'll have a good five or six feet coming back for par.

Can he keep his card blemish-free? He sure can. Another par marked down and two holes remaining.

Digging around in a bush is a familiar feeling for us club golfers. Not a good mood for Xander Schauffele.

The American's tee shot drifts off downtown and leaves him with an unplayable lie. Medicine taken and on he goes.

Rory McIlroy has another birdie putt, but again it drifts by. A par will have to do.

One under for the front nine is McIlroy. File under steady not spectacular. And I think he'll be happy with that so far.

If only he could land a putt or two more...

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at St Andrews

The crowds are starting to thin out a little and with word spreading across the course of Cam Smith’s mammoth round, many are heading towards the final few holes to see him home.

It's been a tumultuous year for Phil Mickelson and isn't going to end at the majors with a flourish.

Lefty is six over as he tees off on the last.

Interesting to see what reception he gets, not sure it'll be as passionate as the one we saw earlier for Woods.

Matt From Sydney: That putt from Cam Smith - sensational.... Almost like the ones I drain every weekend...on the PlayStation. In phenomenal form.