Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at St Andrews

As Rory McIlroy was teeing off yesterday, Tiger Woods was making his way down the 18th in a very emotional potential goodbye to the Open at St Andrews.

The Northern Irishman gets a great reception but there are no tears on course this afternoon, just a steely focus from Rory as he sets about trying to make the leaders sweat.

Rory could do with a hat-trick of birdies to start today!

Image source, Getty Images

There's been much talk of how Rory McIlroy has improved his performances in the majors this year, and he's pretty much right where he wants to be at the halfway mark here.

The world number two felt he left one or two out on the course yesterday evening, but he's done well to keep a firing-on-all-cylinders Cameron Smith in his sights.

McIlroy was just one shot adrift of the halfway pace at last month's US Open, but stumbled on Saturday with a 73. That will surely be uppermost in the four-time major winner's mind as he looks to position himself for a tilt at a second Claret Jug with 18 holes remaining.

McIlroy knows his playing partner Viktor Hovland quite well, of course, with both having been part of Europe's Ryder Cup defeat last year.

While Hovland's professional career is still in its infancy (he joined the paid ranks in 2019), the Norwegian has already won six times so he certainly knows how to get the job done over the weekend.

What's missing from Hovland's CV, however, is a top-10 finish in a major, so he's out to rectify that.

Incentives for both men, who'll need a fast start to apply some early pressure on Camerons Young and Smith. This should be a fun pairing to follow!

Back-to-back bogeys for Thomas Pieters. That hurts.

He's slipped back to seven-under and has Tommy Fleetwood for company on that number after the Englishman's birdie at 14.

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

I am expecting fireworks from Scottie Scheffler and Dustin Johnson. If one gets off to a flyer the other could follow.

Two perfect tee shots from them.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at St Andrews

Rory McIlroy steps on to the putting green just as Scottie Scheffler is announced on the first tee. McIlroy has a quick look before coming over to chat to some acquaintances and then going about his putting drills.

Has the eagle landed for JT? No!

Justin Thomas' head drops quicker than a well-oiled person in a nightclub at 3am when his eagle putt clips the left lip of the 18th hole.

So close. The American scrubs his brow to further illustrate his disappointment.

Two similar laid-back Americans in this group could spell danger for the field, as they could really help each other stay relaxed and go really low today.

Dustin Johnson has gone well at St Andrews before, at least for 36 holes, and he's gone far more under the radar this week.

So too has Scheffler, despite being the world number one and Masters champion, but he's put some much work in this work and so much preparation.

And it shows...

Ohhhhh, that is a wonderful effort from Shane Lowry, who judges his devilishly quick putt from the back of the par-three 11th masterfully.

It picks up speed and turns towards the hole before taking the slope, but just burns the left edge and races by a bit.

Not far from a third consecutive two, but he makes the three. Lowry's lighting it up around the turn!

The interesting point here, as we see the flags around St Andrews just start to wobble and dance around a bit more, is the slight increase in the wind and the gusts - which could just make it a bit tougher for the leaders later on.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport at St Andrews

Spectator viewing is not always the best experience at St Andrews, given it is so flat and narrow.

The narrowness means fans are generally kept on the perimeter of the course. The R&A have said they tried to create a few mounds round the edges of the course, without ruining the aesthetics of the place.

There are, of course, huge stands dotted around if you'd prefer to pick a spot and settle down there for the afternoon.

That's proving a popular option. I was down by the 10th green at mid-day and that stand was packed, with a 50-yard queue of people waiting to get in. It gives great views of the seventh and 11th greens, the eighth and 10th, and down to the ninth.

And this is the scene by the first fairway, with punters keen to watch the leaders head out in the next half hour or so...

Image source, BBC Sport

The eagles have been flying in and now Justin Thomas fancies a slice of that pie.

The two-time US PGA champ drives the green on the last and, although it won't put him amongst the leaders like Lowry, sinking the eagle putt would be a great boost going into the final round.

Thomas has never earned a top-10 finish at the Open and that will probably be his target now.

Alex Bysouth
BBC Sport at St Andrews

This is Malcolm, who at two and a half already has a swing most of us would envy.

He’s brought his clubs, just in case there’s a late drop out on Saturday, and has caught the eye of a few impressed fans in the spectator village.

His dad hopes we’ll see the youngster back here lifting the Claret Jug in 20 years’ time. Remember the name, and that Seve-esque swing.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

We saw Bryson DeChambeau come unstuck at the 16th, but it's the 15th that's proved Thomas Pieters' downfall as he fails to get up-and-down from left of the green and records his first dropped shot since the second.

Momentum-killer.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport at St Andrews

Image source, BBC Sport

A little earlier in the week, I went for go on one of these hydraulic putting greens that can recreate the slopes of famous putts through time.

I had a go at Seve's on the 18th at the Old Course that won the 1984 Open (miss), and Jack's on the 17th at Augusta National as he went on to win the 1986 Masters (holed) among a few others.

I was also given a selection of putters and balls to try - I opted for the hickory on the left and the wooden ball - used by Willie Park when he won the first Open Championship in 1860.

The balls are matched with the clubs used to hit them through the eras.

Four amateurs made it through to the weekend this year.

It's been a rough day on the links for England's Sam Bairstow, who shot 79 and is sitting 83rd on +7.

Aaron Jarvis shot his second straight 72 and sits level, so it looks as though Italy's Filippo Celli (-4) and England's Barclay Brown (-5) are the two main contenders for the Silver Medal.

But there's a long way to go of course...

John Daly always catches the eye - whether it's his dress sense or his golf.

The 1995 Open champion entertained the crowds on the first two days and enjoyed himself with his son - 'Little' John - on the bag, despite missing the cut.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent on Radio 5 Live

Lowry was relatively becalmed. He had only picked up two birdies and dropped a shot at the fourth but at the ninth chipped in for an eagle which really changed the colour of that opening nine holes. If he can put on a tear maybe he can propel himself into a late tee time tomorrow.

Woah, talk about Moving Day.

Shane Lowry's only gone and followed his chip-in on the ninth with another perfect pitch on the 10th!

Back-to-back eagles for the Irishman - you don't see that very often!

Even for a man of such immense prowess around the greens, that's ridiculously good.

The roars are getting louder and louder out there. Incredible scenes.

Good start from Australian Lucas Herbert as he picks up two birdies on the first and third to move to eight under.

We're going to see a lot of early birdies today on the Old Course.