After Matthew Baldwin's opening two-over-par round at his home course, today the 40-year-old has birdied the fourth hole and dropped a shot on the sixth.

He's two over par for the tournament with two holes to play on the front nine.

Brikdale has been kind to the morning wave so far - look at all those green holes.

The 18th is very distinctive though. Yet to have a birdie on it yet.

Dan Brown is in the longer grass again off the tee on the second but produces an excellent approach which yields a half-chance of a birdie.

Not taken, but it's a par-par start for the Englishman.

Oh no.

After that long overdue birdie at 11, Matt Fitzpatrick is in big trouble at the par-three 12th.

His ball is plugged in the pot bunker. He gives it a serious thump but he's unable to escape the sand.

The second attempt is successful but he runs up a hugely costly double bogey five and erases that good work on the previous hole.

Rory McIlroy gets up and in from just off the green for a par while Xander Schauffele finally snaps his par run with a lovely birdie two!

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Marco Penge rolls in a 20-footer for par on the 18th to complete a second round of 68, following a 72 on Thursday.

An overall score of level par should be enough for the Englishman to make the weekend.

Lucas Herbert is short and left off the 15th tee, but gets a touch of good fortune by avoiding the bunker.

The Australian recovers with a nice chip and a five-foot putt to make his par three.

American Bud Cauley, playing in the same group, drops a shot and is back to four under for the tournament.

Tom Grundy
BBC Sport senior journalist at Royal Birkdale

It's another warm day here at Birkdale. Temperatures are well above 20C and most spectators have opted for shirts, shorts and sunglasses.

A few fans beside the ninth green couldn't help commenting on Shane Lowry's rather unseasonal choice of attire - a long-sleeved black shirt, perhaps not the obvious option in this heat.

But the Irishman has called Florida home since 2017 and is well accustomed to baking temperatures on the PGA Tour.

After an encouraging opening 69 yesterday, the 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year is well placed to shine in the Southport sun.

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Trouble for Bob MacIntyre on the tricky par-four third as his wayward tee shot into the rough makes for a devilish second.

He flies the green and ends up chipping out, leaving himself 11 feet for par. Bob's blood pressure is rising as he lines up his putt and that subsequent miss will not help his mood.

Better news for Alex Fitzpatrick though, who has birdied that hole to draw alongside MacIntyre at -2.

Can we see the selfie in question, David?

A huge roar erupts from around the 11th green as Matt Fitzpatrick's 33-foot birdie putt creeps in the right edge of the cup.

He needed that!

Rory McIlroy, who missed the fairway, gives his birdie look a good run bit settles for par.

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Canada's Corey Conners had four consecutive birdies on the back nine but a bogey on the 18th will be playing on his mind in the clubhouse.

Conners plodded along yesterday, but today's efforts have moved him favourably up the leaderboard.

Far from an ideal start for Dan Brown, who goes right off the first tee and is eventually left with a 12-footer for par, but Brown is equal to the task and gets under way with a par four.

Im Sung-jae has a birdie attempt from similar range but misses.

BBC Radio 5 Live

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Clubhouse leader Jackson Suber speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "I definitely faced more challenge today than yesterday but I felt like I handled it well. I know that if I play good patient golf all week it will work out for me. To make a par out of that fairway bnker on 18 was a good feeling.

"It's just another golf tournament - but at the same time it's not. It's the Open."

Collin Morikawa is currently ranking second for sinking putts within 10 feet at this year's Open.

The American finishes seven feet beyond that at the par-three 12th so calmly sets himself up for a simple tap in.

On Thursday, Bob MacIntyre got off to a terrific start with two birdies but today is a more steady par-par beginning for the Scot.

Same for Alex Fitzpatrick so it's as you were.

The entertainment value for this group so far is coming from Rickie Fowler who birdied the first and has immediately bogeyed the second.

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Lucas Herbert produces a lovely touch out of the bunker, splashing out to four feet before holing his par putt.

Pars all the way home from here would mean a round of 62, which would equal the record for a lowest score at a men's major.

Ben Croucher
BBC Sport journalist at Royal Birkdale

There's no doubt that Rory McIlroy is the star attraction out on the course right now, but what's it like being a fan actually trying to watch him.

I've just spent half an hour around the par-three 7th and the crowds were enormous. Every inch of grass, every mound, every vantage point was taken, and even then you weren't guaranteed a view of the great man. The crowds were 10 deep in places, and we were even part of a logjam trying to cross the eighth fairway to get there.

One chap I spoke to was 6 foot 5 inches tall and even he couldn't see.

Credit though to these Spanish fans, who thought of an old fashion solution to a modern golf spectating problem.

Image source, BBC Sport

Perhaps inspired by his LIV Golf colleague Lucas Herbert, Thomas Detry is starting to make a move.

He finds the heart of the green with his tee shot at the driveable fifth and knocks in the 12-foot putt for an eagle two.

The Belgian had a couple of early bogeys, however, so he's level par for the round.

Oliver Wilson
Former Ryder Cup player on BBC Radio 5 Live

It looks like Rory McIlroy is hitting decent putts. The reaction after he has hit the last two is pure frustration from the line. His pace is OK, but that was the problem yesterday.