Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

That feels like a potentially huge moment in this Open Championship.

You certainly would not have thought Scheffler would gain a stroke on Fitzpatrick after their respective approach shots.

"Boring," someone says with a chuckle in the crowd as the leader makes the stressful look stress-free with that up-and-down for par.

Hit it, Tyrrell!

It feels like I've written that Hatton has about 25 feet for birdie SO many times today and I can't recall any of them dropping.

His latest attempt from that range on the 13th stops a foot short of the hole.

Hatton is in fourth spot on his own at the moment, four behind Scottie Scheffler.

Brilliant, just brilliant from Rory McIlroy from the cliff edge at the side of 16, as he bumps into the back of the ball, no follow-through, and judges it to perfection as the ball lands and rolls out pin high and just four feet away.

I've been down that gorge, a lot further down mind you, and you need to have mountain goat abilities to get a good stance to hit a shot like that.

Scottie Scheffler's round had been pretty uneventful early on, with six straight pars on the card until he really found his rhythm at the par-five seventh.

Matt Fitzpatrick will be dropping at least one shot at the 11th. His third from off the front of the green does not go as planned and he's got nearly 60 feet left for par. Then, still five feet left for bogey.

Before then, Scottie Scheffler completes a great up-and-down by sinking a 10-footer for a four.

Fitzpatrick makes his five but Scheffler's lead is now up to three shots.

There have been a few barely believable moments in Rory McIlroy's round so far - and this was the most unlikely of all.

Our colleague Peter says he lost a ball down the 11th hole earlier this year.

I don't think he drove it the same length as Rory did though...

Image source, Getty Images

Tommy Fleetwood on his third round: "I'm disappointed with the last six holes (four pars and two bogeys). When I walked off the 12th green I was five under for the tournament and I felt like I could be two or three better at that point as well. I had a really good round going and then it was a disappointing finish with a couple of bad shots and mistakes.

"I feel a bit annoyed, disappointed or dejected - whatever way you want to put it. It wasn't a bad round, it just wasn't what we needed."

Hmm, not quite what Rory McIlroy wanted on 16 as he's come up short of the green and into that nasty stuff at the top of that huge canyon that you can see in our video course guide below.

BUT, Matt Fitzpatrick has chipped in from down there this week so, you know....

Image source, Getty Images

Matt Fitzpatrick finds trouble off the 11th tee. He's in the left rough with a decent lie, but with the ball about two feet below his feet.

He advances it to the front of the green but there's still a huge amount of work to do for par.

Scottie Scheffler is in the semi-rough to the right of the fairway, but a lot closer than Fitzpatrick. And wow, he's pulled his approach left, into the thick stuff.

Far from routine for either player to make four from here...

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

The 15th is a beautiful hole and McIlroy played that beautifully.

Another moment to savour for this sun-beaten crowd.

Whatever happens over the next three holes, this is an afternoon Portrush won't soon forget.

Image source, Getty Images

Tyrrell Hatton keeps himself in touch with leader Scottie Scheffler thanks to a birdie on the par-five 12th, which is playing as the easiest hole at Royal Portrush.

A nice chip from the front of the green leaves a tap-in for a four.

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

I think he needs to pick up two more shots in his last three holes here, because Scheffler is on the march.

It's just a short putt but Rory McIlroy takes plenty of care measuring it up and then pops it in to get to eight under and give this crowd more to shout about.

A bit of fortune there but he took advantage and will now try and use that as a boost for one final push down the stretch.

The 16th is a tough par three but the 17th is definitely a birdie hole for McIlroy and is playing under par today.

Li Haotong sinks his second birdie of the day and it's a great one as it's on the tough 11th, which today is playing as the third hardest hole on the course.

But after two lusty blows Li is 20 feet away and sweeps home the putt to get to 10 under.

And here's a stat for you - Li has only made ONE bogey all week! Incredible.

The 11th has played pretty tough this week and we've seen plenty of players in trouble off the tee.

Here's a flyover of what the leading pair are facing.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

After Scheffler tidied up for par on the 10th hole, and while he waited for Matthew Fitzpatrick to finish reading his putt, a huge cheer went up from elsewhere on the course.

The world number one didn't even glance up from the yardage book, he looks utterly unflappable out here at the minute.

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

Incredible shot from Rory.

He was totally blind, he couldn't see anything - he was asking people around him where it had gone.

It could've easily gone in.

"Oh sit!" says Rory McIlroy as his approach to the 15th comes flying out of the first cut and he's worried it's going to bounce and whizz past the pin - but instead the ball cannons into the flagstick!

That not only stops the ball flying by but also sees it drop to the ground and sit just four feet away from the hole.

That's one way for him to stick his approaches closer...

Scottie Scheffler doesn't allow for enough break in his birdie putt and it drifts right of the cup. A par for the recent US PGA winner.

Can Matt Fitzpatrick close the gap to one? Not this time.

All right then Harris English, I'll stick you back in my key points. A bounceback birdie at the 12th vaults the American to seven under par once again.

Partner Bob MacIntyre took forever over a distance eagle putt but left it 10 feet short and then can't convert.

He's fuming that he's missed out on a birdie here.