Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

Padraig Harrington has left himself a difficult par putt at 17 after his birdie effort flew past. “Sit down” he shouted after it. No use.

He rescues the par with a six-footer, which is roared in by the crowd.

“We need the weekend!” a punter says to him on the way off the green. Harrington gives him a knowing nod.

The cut line is still projected to be one under.

Less and less golf to be played today to nudge that in either direction, too.

A fourth birdie in five holes on the back nine for Ludvig Aberg. He's really turning it on now.

Martin Couvra gets in for a par and keeps his fine form going.

A par will do too for Collin Morikawa, who is toiling.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

It seemed almost unthinkable that Bob MacIntyre would miss the cut, but the prospect is now very real.

Twelve months after roaring him on to glory here, the fans are now willing their hero on to avoid an abrupt end to his title defence.

There's gasps of relief as his approach on 15 flirts with the bunker before safely scurrying on to the dancefloor.

The projected cut line is at one under.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

Aaron Rai absolutely melts his drive down the 18th, but hurries after the caddies and playing group who’ve already taken off.

“Wait, wait” he says, and reaches into his bag. A drink in the sweltering heat?

No, a ball for a young fan waiting patiently. Rai walks off, and the wee man turns to his dad. “Look!”

It’s the little things.

Jake Knapp is cross with himself.

The American has defied the trickier afternoon conditions to sit two under on the day, but his tee shot at the seventh is right up against the lip of a fairway bunker.

He is forced to chip out sideways and now has a tough task on his hands to save par.

Ludvig Aberg is on a heater right now.

Six birdies today, after opening with back-to-back bogies, and he's seven under for the tournament after a tidy three at the par-four 13th.

Alongside him is Martin Couvra, who also birdies to move to four under.

No such luck for Collin Morikawa, who cards a bogey after a poor three putt and is now one over. It looks unlikely that he will be sticking around for the weekend at this rate.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

On the 17th green, there’s a debate raging. It’s not about golf, but about the two big football teams in Edinburgh.

It seems friendly enough, for now. They’re discussing Lawrence Shankland’s new contract at Hearts.

"Every Jambo I know is happy he’s signed!" argued one.

They’re only stopped by the marshals holding up the "quiet please" signs.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

Yass! The packed galleries on 14 erupt as Bob bounces back by draining that birdie putt.

Can it give the defending champ a jolt of momentum for his survival mission?

Pars for Scottie Scheffler and Adam Scott, but there's a huge roar as Bob MacIntyre sends his tee shot to within five feet of the hole.

That roar is repeated - perhaps louder - as MacIntyre sinks the birdie putt. He's back within one shot of the projected cut line.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

It doesn’t feel nearly as busy on the holes near the clubhouse now, but perhaps the flock has migrated towards Bob in the outer rim.

There are a lot of red, red faces, though. Baz Luhrmann would be furious. Slip, slap, slop people!

England's Jordan Smith may have just punched his ticket for the weekend in the most fortuitous fashion.

He's well off the 16th green, about 40 yards long and right. He's hitting and hoping, nothing more than that.

It comes out flat and skids, bumps, and races along the green before crashing off the flag and dropping in for an eagle on the par five.

It's a game of luck, right enough.

Scottie Scheffler has had to battle today as the wind has picked up, but the world number one drains a long birdie putt to get back to four under.

Bob MacIntyre walks off 13 having made a double bogey, knowing he needs something special to make the weekend.

He is now two behind the projected cut line.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

Sepp Straka gets back to level for the day and six under overall with a much-needed birdie on the par-three 14th. Pearler of a tee shot deserved that finish.

Justin Thomas takes a restful seat on the wall before coming up just short with his putt. It's a par, too, for Laurie Canter.

Image source, Getty Images

Bob MacIntyre is rooting around in the gorse down the left of the 13th fairway.

It goes without saying that isn't where you want to be.

No-one is able to locate his original tee shot, so the Scot goes to his provisional ball and finds the green.

That was his fourth shot though, so it will be a bogey at best.

Unfortunately for the Austrian, he cannot birdie the 13th following a lovely approach.

Par it is for Sepp Straka, another European Ryder Cup hopeful.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

I’m stood with one of the volunteers, Ivan, having a lovely chat about his sunburn when he springs into action.

Ryo Hisatsune on the second has hit the ball into the rough, 100 yards in front of the third tee box.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ivan spots it and points it out to fellow marshals. “That’s the fifth ball I’ve had to find today.”

Given his shift started at 12.30pm, that’s unsurprising.

"You can’t complain about being involved in this competition, but it’s costing me a fortune in sunscreen," he adds.

A couple of dropped shots on the card today, but Sepp Straka's approach into the thirteenth green is spectacular.

Up the right-hand side, chases it up towards the putting surface, and it catches the angle of the slope perfectly, bumping down towards the hole. Proper links golf that.

Magnificent stuff. Can the Austrian card a birdie now?

Bob MacIntyre looks really frustrated out there.

Another birdie chance fails to drop and it's a similar story for Scottie Scheffler and Adam Scott.

Three pars.

One man who has gone quietly about his business this afternoon is Ludvig Aberg.

The Swede rolls in his fifth birdie of the day at 11, taking him to three under for the round and six under for the tournament.

Image source, Getty Images