A pair of pars for the Americans, who will be running an emotional support group with what they've both been through recently - a nice pair of boring pars is just the start they needed.

Both leave long birdie putts but both play decent lag efforts to claim regulation fours.

Matt Wallace was one of the highest-placed Englishmen on the leaderboard at the halfway stage.

His funky shirt captured the imagination on Friday, but it's a much calmer choice of attire for Wallace today.

He's started with two pars, while playing partner Kim Si-woo has just birdied the par-four second to move to six under par - two shots off the lead jointly held by Lucas Herbert and Ryan Fox.

Image source, Getty Images

That's more like it from Bob MacIntyre from the middle of the fairway.

His approach at the second takes a couple of skips onto the green and pulls up about 12 feet short.

He missed from similar distance for par at the second, but this time he is deadeye. Back to four under - and he passes Alex Fitzpatrick who misses his three-footer for par.

Stop me if you've heard this one before - but Scottie Scheffler plays a neat approach to the fourth but cant sink his birdie putt. That's a 12 foot and 15 foot miss in the last two holes, they're not gimmes but he's not making anything.

That's the range he's got a problem with - he's made just one of 11 between the 10-20 foot range so far this week. He's not even been great in the 5-10 foot range, he's made one today but that just makes it five of 10. Just not good enough.

Jon Rahm gives his eagle putt a decent run and almost holes it for a two on the par four.

A birdie will do nicely and he's already clawed back all the damage done by that wayward tee shot on the first.

Now it's Tommy Fleetwood's turn - no mistake from six feet! A first birdie of the day for the hometown hero.

Sarah Mulkerrins
BBC reporter at Royal Birkdale

A little light sprinting in the sunshine for the Tommy Fleetwood fans. It’s quite fun to watch the crowds dart from green to tee to try to find a couple of inches of space to catch a glimpse.

Lots of shouts of "Tommy Lad" mid sprint to cheer on their home hope.

It's getting hotter so they may need to curtail the hill sprints!

Bryson DeChambeau tees off - tugged to the left but should be OK.

Sam Burns hits a high cut and finds the right edge of the fairway - and if you think DeChambeau has been riding his emotions what about the Sam Burns story?

As the American suffered US Open heartbreak just a month ago, then his second child arrived 11 days early so instead of missing The Open he then made a late dash to Royal Birkdale to compete.

And just to top it all off he tied the men's major record with a 62 yesterday - thanks to a hole-out from a bunker on the 18th. I'm exhausted just writing about that let alone living it.

Jon Rahm threads his way through the bunkers that guard the fifth green and gives himself an eagle putt of about 50 feet.

Tommy Fleetwood goes the safer route and his second shot is bang over the top of the flag. Six feet left for birdie and the crowd erupts. A beauty.

Still no joy for Rory McIlroy.

In trouble off the tee at the par-five 14th, he walks off with a par.

After that chip-in eagle on nine, he's played the next five holes one over.

Oliver Wilson
Former Ryder Cup player on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think Bryson DeChambeau will want to prove a point today.

No sooner had a sixth round of 62 been registered at a men's major, Sam Burns carded a seventh.

The American, who narrowly missed out on winning his first major title at the US Open last month, made six birdies on the back nine.

In a spectacular finish, Burns holed his bunker shot for birdie at the last to complete a bogey-free eight-under second round.

Burns is playing with Bryson DeChambeau - in case you forget today...

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

Bryson DeChambeau looks impatient, standing there between the two tee markers in this amphitheatre.

Every seat is taken.

Every pair of eyes gazing down on the man who has been centre of attention.

Very warm reception indeed.

That two-shot penalty may fire up Bryson DeChambeau today, and if that doesn't then the reception he's just received on the first tee surely will.

As the Royal Birkdale crowd gave him a huge ovation as he lifted his cap and waved to the fans, with even a "you show them Bryson" shouted out.

Knowing DeChambeau, he'll have no doubt been worried about how that penalty would have tainted his image somewhat - but judging by that reaction the crowd are firmly on his side.

Bob MacIntyre birdied the second on Thursday, parred it yesterday and now has made bogey. It'll sting though, particularly as he found the fairway off the tee.

It knocks him back to -3, but he's kept his cool as he walks away.

Partner Alex Fitzpatrick safely in for four.

Image source, Getty Images

Tommy Fleetwood hasn't had a really good chance for birdie yet today, despite a very solid start.

He was a couple of short missed putts away from finishing Friday with five straight birdies, which would have matched Camilo Villegas' five-birdie burst in the second round of the 2008 Open at Birkdale.

The Colombian was always a fun watch. And when it came to reading putts, nobody did it as spectacularly as him!

As the leaders prepare to go out, more players are clustering underneath.

Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen is three under for his round through the 10th hole and makes it to -5.

Three shots back.

Tommy Fleetwood finds the sand off the fourth tee but gets up and down in two to save par at the first of Birkdale's four short holes.

Ken Brown tells us in the video below about the challenge posed by Birkdale's bunkers.

Image source, Getty Images

Scottie Scheffler has had his putting problems, but almost cut out the middle man by chipping in on the second from off the green. Just a few inches short so two pars to start.

Francesco Molinari has been steady as you like, with two fairways and two greens = two pars.

Image source, Getty Images

A steady start for Tommy Fleetwood, who recovers well from the wispy rough to give himself another look at a birdie at the third - albeit from a long way away.

He and Jon Rahm make comfortable pars.

I said before that Alex Fitzpatrick needed to improve his putting to really get in the mix.

He's got himself a tremendous opportunity on the first hole here having controlled his approach superbly out of the rough. No, it's drifted by. He makes four.

Par for Bob MacIntyre too after two-putting neatly from 42 feet.