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Brilliant birdie from Chris Gotterup as his second shot lands just off the fourth green 50 feet away, but he manages to find the bottom of the cup for a three.

Harris English also does well just to save par here after a visit to the rough, as he manages to get down in two from just over 100 yards for his four.

Right then, onto the fourth tee. Rory McIlroy has birdied this hole in the past two days and starts it well enough again, thumping a drive 313 yards and leaving him 183 to the flag.

Matt Fitzpatrick is sneaky long you know and is not far back off the tee, with his drive measured at 294.

Mentioned earlier that Scottie Scheffler has marmalised the par threes this week.

Next up for the leader is the picturesque third.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

Yesterday following Scottie Scheffler you could hear the roars when Rory McIlroy picked up a shot.

Today, the world number one can see it. He was stood on the second fairway waiting to hit his next shot as McIlroy's putt dropped.

A par for Rory McIlroy in a repeat of the theme from yesterday - a nice enough shot into the green but always at least 30 feet away so it's either make a long bomb or an easy par.

It'd be great golf if he was the one leading by five, but he's not. He has to hit it closer.

Matt Fitzpatrick just couldn't attack this flag with his chip given all the slopes around it so had to just get it on the green and try to make a long one.

He couldn't so it's a bogey.

A fantastic day from Bryson DeChambeau continues with a 23-foot putt for birdie on the 15th.

That brings him to eight under for the tournament, and into the top 10.

I'm not sure he would have seen that coming when he was seven over par on Thursday evening...

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A cautious third shot from Scottie Scheffler from in front of the second green.

Leaving it short of the target would have seen it dribble down the slope into more trouble, so he heads for the middle of the green and leaves himself about 25 feet for birdie.

A safe two-putt for par for the three-time major winner.

Li Haotong's bunker shot left him in that little hollow that Scheffler was trying to avoid, but it's a decent putt coming back up the hill.

Five feet left for par - misses left. A bogey that takes the Chinese golfer back to 10 under.

The 2019 champion at Royal Portrush wasn't in contention this time around but from watching his final putt on the 18th today, I can tell you he is very, very well loved.

BBC Sport NI's Stephen Watson grabbed a word with him after his final round of 66 that saw him finish on two under for the tournament - and he's keen to see The Open return to the north coast of Northern Ireland very soon.

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

That's the danger if you try and push too much on this golf course.

If you push a bit too hard it'll roll off the slopes on the greens.

Image source, Getty Images

After a couple of safe pars from these two on the third, Xander Schauffele brings the crowd to their feet with a monster putt for birdie on the fourth.

It's a big breaker from the left which dives in to take Schauffele to eight under for the tournament.

That would've looked great from the tee when Rory McIlroy shaped a nice little draw right at the flag on the par three from 180 yards.

But it just stalls on its descent and lands about 30 feet short.

Matt Fitzpatrick can't find the putting surface though and faces a tough chip.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

Fives just weren't an option for either of these players with how the last group played the opening hole.

Job done for McIlroy. He was three under through seven yesterday. That's the absolute worst he can be today.

Only the lightest whisps of cloud remain in the sky. We're only two holes in and I'm seeing a lot of people struggling with the heat already.

Scottie Scheffler pulls his approach a bit left and he's at the front of the green in two on the par-five second.

An up-and-down from there will make it a birdie-birdie start for the world number one.

Li Haotong's effort goes right and into a greenside bunker.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport senior journalist at Royal Portrush

This is for all you budding golf journalists out there. These are the notes BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter will have with him as he follows Scottie Scheffler and Li Haotong around Royal Portrush today.

Follow all the action on BBC Radio 5 Live by clicking the link at the top of the page.

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Rory McIlroy just got a bit of a flier out of the left rough on two, but he's had plenty of practice with long-range putts and he almost holes this one for eagle from just off the side of the green.

Still, it's just a tap-in for a birdie to get him to nine under.

Fresh from tap-in birdie threes on the opening hole, Scottie Scheffler and Li Haotong smash their tee shots onto the second fairway.

They're in the mood.

Image source, Getty Images

The second is definitely a birdie hole today - we've had 21 of them today, the most recent of which is from Harris English, who makes a nice four to get to nine under.

Those chasing Scottie Scheffler will definitely see a four here as a must today.

The last time you'll get a look at this lovely flyover videos - so drink in the second.

It's been the third easiest hole at Royal Portrush this week.

An opportune chance for Scottie Scheffler to keep his foot firmly pressed.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

"Not bad, Scottie," says one fan as Scheffler strides up the fairway.

Masters of understatement around here.