There's been a lot of talk about pace of play this week, with several rounds clocking in at around six hours.

Here's what the R&A have had to say on the matter: "We are doing all we can to improve the pace of play today but recognise how challenging it is given the course layout."

"Outstanding Rory," drools one fan behind the seventh tee.

Not a bad assessment as his ball kisses the road-like fairway and trundles along.

McIlroy is coasting along nicely at the moment.

Golf at 60mph. Nothing to get the heart racing, but making excellent progress.

The journey towards Claret Jug City continues.

Cameron Young passes up another chance to join Smith at the top.

He keeps giving himself his chances. He bogeyed the second but has looked in total control since then.

John Murray
Commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live

On the 13th green Cameron Smith played it in beautifully and set up yet another birdie chance

You could tell from the body language that he wasn't sure that he had given that quite enough but looks unruffled.

Cam Smith looks as good as anyone standing over a putt, but his latest swing with the Texas wedge comes up a little shy and it's another par.

He shares a laugh with his caddie as he saunters off towards the par-five 14th. I'd be that chipper if my game was as good as his.

McIlroy is up on a scorched mound close to the sixth green, leaving him with delicate knock in.

Lovely touch. Ball bounces in front of the pin, whistling past the flag before hitting the brakes as it screeches to a halt.

Greens are being hit in regulation by the four-time major winner. So too were the putts until the previous hole.

Dropping another here would be back-to-back birdies and lift him into a tie for fourth place.

Ohhh, it slides by.

Defending champ Morikawa is also struggling somewhat with the putter and, battling to beat the cut, misses another chance to get into the red.

Eve Muirhead
Olympic curling champion & keen golfer on BBC 5 live

You can tell by the body language - everybody is hating the slow play here but let me tell you Cameron Smith is really playing some good golf here.

Cam Smith crunches a seven-iron towards the 13th green and turns away because he can't see beyond the gorse bushes.

When the green comes into view, he'll see his ball just to the left of the pin and with another birdie chance coming up.

WOAH. I hadn't seen Justin Thomas' second shot to the fifth, and while it wasn't exactly close to the pin, he rams his putt into the back of the cup! He's back into the red.

Hovland's eagle effort is beautifully judged, using the slope to the left, but it just trickles past on the right side and that'll be a tap-in birdie.

Now it's Lowry for eagle...no, he has to settle for a birdie as well.

They've made short work of that hole.

Image source, Getty Images

More from Tiger Woods, speaking after he completed his round, but missed the cut:

"I am not retiring from the game but I just don't know if I will be physically play again by the time it comes back around.

"I can still play future British Opens, yes, but in eight years time I doubt if I will be competitive at this level. It's a struggle just playing the three events I have this year.

"I had a few tears, and I'm not one who gets teary about anything.

"But when it comes to the game and then just the transition - I was lucky enough to watch Arnold Palmer hitting his tee shot as I was out on the range. I could hear Jack Nicklaus hitting his last one but ovations were getting louder and louder.

"I felt that coming in. The people knew I wasn't going to make the cut, but the ovations got louder as I was coming home.

"And that to me It felt like just the respect. I've always respect the event and the game and I've put my heart and soul over the years. I think the people have appreciated my play in the event."

Image source, Getty Images

-11 Cameron Smith (12)

-10 Cameron Young (11)

-9 Dustin Johnson (67)

-8 Scottie Scheffler (68)

-8 Tyrrell Hatton (66)

Full leaderboard

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at St Andrews

The Road Hole looked to have taken its toll on Jamie Rutherford as he double-bogeyed with one to play, but a delightful approach at 18 teed up him for a birdie that should see him make the cut on his Open debut at St Andrews.

"I played lovely all day so I still felt good," he told me afterwards. "I don't know what the cut is going to be but it's nice to be in red figures. I was playing well so I was not hoping to be close to it. I was hoping I could keep making some birdies the way I was hitting it.

"The wind switched, we had five to go and the wind completely 180'd, so it makes 15, 16, 17, 18 play so much different than they have done all week."

A big cheer went up when his short birdie putt dropped on 18, with a vocal crowd making the trip from Knebworth Golf Club to follow the 30-year-old at the Old Course.

"It's been awesome," he added. "To be playing my first Open, my first major, you couldn't wish for a better place to start - hopefully another two good days. My family and a few friends are up here, making some noise when I made a few birdies!"

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent on Radio 5 Live

Morikawa needed this putt - needed to get something going with a projected cut at level par.

Huge, that. It was a must-make putt for Rory. A big roar and he makes his first birdie of this round.

Morikawa with a tap in, with a round of birdies, after a lot of waiting around.

That is absolutely sensational from Shane Lowry, who sends his second to the par-five fifth onto the left-hand side of the green, using the contours to perfection as it rolls back down about 10 feet.

Great chance for eagle coming up. That'll get him going.

Viktor Hovland smacks his approach into the sky and immediately runs up the mound to his left for a better view, just in time to see his ball stop around 20 feet from the pin. Another fine effort.

Never in doubt! Was it? Eeek.

Rory McIlroy doesn't get flustered about the birdie putt waiting for him, confidently knocking that away as though he's practising with his electric auto-ball return machine on the hallway carpet.

Fours also follow for playing partners Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.

Three birdies, one stone.

Barclay Brown, the 21-year-old amateur, was one of the stories of round one.

Well, the good news is that he's not going away. He's one-under for the day through 16 after picking up back-to-back birdies.

Hugely impressive showing from the young Englishman.

Right then, McIlroy to go first. Hmmm, is it going to get up the slope? It's lacking legs but reaches its destination and trickles towards the hole.

Not confident enough to say he'll definitely tuck in the birdie putt.

Much better effort from Schauffele, who comes in from a similar. Put your house on the birdie there.

From the other side comes Morikawa and he's left himself a little tester.

Oooooh, how'd that not drop?!

Cameron Young's birdie effort at the 10th somehow trickles over the left edge. That looked dead-weight to me, and so did Young judging by his reaction.

But no harm done - he remains one back.

Throw a blanket over part of the fifth fairway and you'd sweep up all three balls in this stellar group.

Rory McIlroy drives more than 370 yards, leaving him with a short iron into the green.

Get this close and he's laughing.

Oh... what's he done here?! Left it well short, that's what.

That's left an eagle putt which has a safari ride of a peaks, troughs and potential danger. Someone bring the 4x4.

Cam Smith's approach to the 12th almost stays up on the right level of the green, but his ball begins to trickle back down the slope.

It's another lengthy putting assignment for the tournament leader, but he boldly wraps it back up the hill and pops his par effort in.

The 28-year-old Queenslander hasn't even come close to a bogey today. Every part of his game is operating at optimum efficiency.