Shane Lowry affords himself a little smile and mini fist pump as he drains a 26-foot putt for birdie on the 12th.

It moves him into a tie for 13th and three off the lead.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live at Royal Birkdale

Image source, Reuters

Rory McIlroy paid the penalty going for the birdie attempt. Another shot gone. It is just not happening for him on the greens.

Ooooh, Xander Schauffele is starting to roll his rock. The 2024 champion golfer of the year sinks a 15-footer for a second straight birdie and moves to within three of surprise leader Jackson Suber.

Rory McIlroy found the thick stuff off the tee and the grass snagged his clubhead for his second as it flew left.

From down in a little valley off the green, he races his putt four feet past...and he misses the one coming back for par!

I can't remember the last time McIlroy missed so many short putts in the same round. The Birkdale greens are getting the Masters champion hot under the collar at the moment.

Having been criticised earlier this week by Sir Nick Faldo for having 'zero clue of strategy' for links golf, Bryson DeChambeau has clearly paid attention judging by his comments after carding a three-under 67: “It was a hard-fought battle out there. The wind was switching quite a bit. It was fun seeing the fans rooting for all of us. We all played pretty well.

“I think you’ve got to be a lot more strategic out on the golf course. And I feel like I did a really good job today of being incredibly strategic and focused super hard on placing it in the right places.

“Besides 18, I placed the ball in some good areas. I just need to hit more fairways. Other than that, I feel like my strategy was nice today.

“I like it when the test is hard and difficult and it makes for a fun championship. It is satisfying [to start well] but there are three more days. I was excited by the way I played and it was fun playing with Scottie [Scheffler] and seeing how good he struck the ball. It makes me think I have to work on my driving and three wood a little bit.”

Shane Lowry has another birdie putt incoming on the 11th but this is from well downtown and a good 30 feet or so from the pin which is located down the left of the green.

There's nowhere near enough gas on that.

No birdie for Brooks Koepka either, with the American unable to dispatch his effort from 12 feet. It's been five years since the 36-year-old finished inside the top 10 at The Open.

Oliver Wilson
Former Ryder Cup player on BBC Radio 5 Live

On conditions drastically changing after practice rounds...

It is unbelievable when it happens. Perfect conditions in practice, then this sort of wind. It can take a few holes to get used to it. One of those things where experience helps.

Image source, Getty Images

Nicolai Hojgaard was three over par after four holes but steadied the ship for the rest of the front nine and has sparked into life with three birdies in four holes to get back to level par for the day.

That's currently one shot better off than his brother Rasmus, who ended one over earlier today.

What a back nine of 31 by Jackson Suber.

The 26-year-old American recovers brilliantly from the rough to the right of the 18th fairway and gives himself a look at a 20-footer for another birdie - that misses, but a closing par will do very nicely.

Suber played his final five holes in four under par and that's enough to put him into the lead of the Open.

I'll be very surprised if he doesn't end up as the overnight leader on his score of five under par.

Image source, Getty Images

Not a bad showing from the English contingent so far. Eight of them are in the clubhouse under par.

-4 Daniel Brown

-2 Jordan Smith

-1 Matthew Southgate, Alex Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Wallace and Laurie Canter

Tony Jacklin was the last Englishman to win an Open in England. That was at Lytham in 1969.

Is Cameron Young about to make a move on the back nine?

His approach to the 10th green lands 10 feet from the hole and he sinks the birdie putt to move to two under par.

Playing partner Ludvig Aberg finds his putting boots and cards a first birdie of the day to get back to one over.

Collin Morikawa's fine run comes to an end at the 11th, where he makes his second bogey of the day. His first was at the first.

He has to lay up after an errant tee shot and a long par putt is only just off target.

Catriona Matthew
Captain of Team Europe at the 2019 & 2021 Solheim Cup on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, PA Media

Maybe this is the kickstart which Rory McIlroy needs.

Two putts, birdie and onto the 10th. A good first putt from 60 feet. He left it a couple of feet short.

He is still in a good mood chatting away with his caddie, Harry Diamond.

Rory McIlroy has 58 feet for an eagle. He sends it on its way. The crowd start to murmur as the ball races towards the hole, but it just runs out of steam two feet short.

Suffice to say, Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick took the more traditional route to the green.

Fitzpatrick missed the green long with his second but played a beauty with his left-hand-below-right chipping style to save par before Schauffele drains a 25-footer for birdie to snap his run of pars!

After two-and-a-half hours, this group's finally given the huge gallery following them some birdies.

Leader Jackson Suber goes right off the tee at the last and his ball comes to rest in the rough.

Not the worst angle to approach the green from, but Ken Brown explains why you're keen to avoid the longer grass at Royal Birkdale.

Image source, Reuters

After missing a short putt to drop a shot on the seventh, Cameron Young returns to red figures by sinking a long-range birdie attempt on the ninth.

Shane Lowry looks in the groove. He's playing his approach from the semi rough and delivers a wonderful shot that skips on to the green and pulls up five feet from the flag.

Listen to the applause for that. It's richly deserved but then it becomes all the more frustrating, when the 2019 Open champion slides his birdie putt two feet past.

And so is that in reverse for Aaron Rai, who recovers from trouble off the tee to spin his third into two feet and save his par.

James Gregg
BBC Radio 5 Live commentator at Royal Birkdale

Image source, Getty Images

Jackson Suber, a 26-year-old American who is from Florida, is ranked 114th in the world. He has had some decent showings on the PGA Tour, but he has never won before. An unexpected leader.

What a great moment!

Clearly cheesed off after missing that wee birdie putt on eight, Rory McIlroy delights the crowd by pulling the driver out of the bag at the 414-yard ninth.

Whack! Cutting the corner, he gives it the full treatment...and his ball races on to the green just as the group in front are walking off!

He's been terrible on the greens so far today but surely that's going to be no worse than a birdie - and possibly an eagle!

Oh my - we have a new leader!

American Jackson Suber sinks a short eagle putt on the par-five 17th... he's five under for the back nine, five under for his round and from nowhere he's leading the Open Championship.

Image source, Getty Images

Rory McIlroy's drive down the eighth lands in the wispy rough just off the fairway. The lie clearly isn't an issue as he's able to produce a beauty with his wedge, exercising good spin control to leave himself a four-footer for a much-needed birdie.

What is going on?! He's missed that one, too. After a short miss on seven, he passes up a golden chance to bounce back. He looks utterly puzzled.

Xander Schauffele did better from 64 feet. His ball was a revolution away from dropping in the cup.