No 35-foot birdie for Lucas Herbert on the par-four eighth but he's tucked it in close and tapped home for par to stay a shot clear of the pack.

He is onto the closing hole of his front nine.

Shane Lowry goes close to a second birdie but cuts a frustrated figure after a 24-foot putt just misses and he has to accept par.

No such luck for Brooks Koepka who bogeys the fifth.

A fortuitous bounce! Rory McIlroy tries to draw one into the par-three fourth with the flag tucked tight on the left.

He leans left, indicating that he's hung it out to the right, but - like at the 18th yesterday - his ball nudges off the slope and kicks down to around 30 feet from the cup.

It's another good try but stops just short and he taps in for par.

Matt Fitzpatrick, who's been uncharacteristically poor with his irons this week, finds the greenside bunker and splashes out to 12 feet, but he misses from there and drops back to two over.

Patrick Reed hasn't had a good Open result for a while - his best result is T10 and that was back in 2019, but the former Masters champion certainly has a links game.

He's a sparkling iron player, has great creativity and his short game is immaculate - this should be right up his street this week and just to prove the point he's lighting it up today.

The American is five under after seven holes today to power to three under for the tournament and just two off the lead.

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Matt Wallace got his par on 17 but he's not a happy bunny at all right now. He was going along so well but just seemed to get the hump on the back nine and it's been a grind these past few holes.

He needs a par on the last at least and then go and relax.

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Ludvig Aberg has made three straight birdies to dip under par and is starting to move clear of that cut mark after starting the day in danger.

Wyndham Clark is heading in the opposite direction though - ironically he birdied the first but then has gone double bogey-bogey-bogey to drop to six over and faces a huge task now of making the weekend.

Not much flag-hunting going on at the third.

Xander Schauffele is long in two and plays a delicate little bump and run from a bare lie to set up a par, while Rory McIlroy shows tremendous judgement of pace to roll a 43-footer up next to the hole for his four.

Matt Fitzpatrick takes his four, too, so this three-ball remain locked together six shots off the pace.

Ben Croucher
BBC Sport journalist at Royal Birkdale

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Nine major titles between them but to get an indication of just who the main draw is between Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick, just look around the galleries on the opening tee shot.

Yesterday, everyone wanted a snap or a video for posterity when the two-time Masters champion teed off. When it was Fitzpatrick and Schauffele's turn, the phones went back in the pockets and most just watched through their eyes.

Given that phone signal tends to be pretty ropey out on the course at the best of times, should the Open introduce Augusta's phone ban for patrons?

BBC Radio 5 Live

And so it begins.

Nine hours - at least - of uninterrupted golf coverage is getting under way on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Well, there will be news and a few bits and pieces... but it's pretty much Birkdale all the way for the rest of your Friday.

Tap the Listen Live button so you can stay with us and tune in.

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Golf's a funny game. Eric Cole had just one birdie in a dispiriting opening 76 yesterday, but he's been a different man on the links today.

After a bogey on three, the world number 71 decided enough was enough and reeled off three straight birdies. Following three pars, he strung together four successive birdies from 10th to move six under for the round.

On course record watch, the American failed to birdie either par-five on the second nine and has just parred the last to card a best-of-the-week 64.

He's moved up around 100 places with that score. Not too shabby.

Cole comes from a golfing family. His father Bobby played in nine Open Championships, including at Birkdale in 1976, while his mother Laura Baugh won the US Women's Amateur title aged 16.

Two birdies on the last hole and now two bogeys for Jackson Suber and Shaun Norris who both tumble out of the lead.

Norris found a ditch with his tee shot so had to take a drop while Suber found the rough with his approach then missed an eight footer for par.

A magic round for Lucas Herbert just got even better.

Five birdies in his opening seven holes is quite the pace and that one was an absolute bonus, clattered in from 35 feet. Snazzy shades too.

Three share the lead at -5.

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Is this the start of something for Brooks Koepka?

The American sinks a 20-foot putt on the par-three fourth to get himself back down to evens.

Pars for Shane Lowry and Aaron Rai.

The challengers are gathering at -4.

Joining the pack one shot behind the leaders is American Bud Cauley. In case you don't know his back story, he suffered a fractured leg, six broken ribs and a collapsed lung in a serious car accident in 2018 and, after trying to come back in 2020, was ultimately ruled out of pro golf until 2024.

Last month, he won his first tournament on the PGA Tour at the Canadian Open. He's played in two Open Championships - one cut, one tied for 32nd - but is two under today and playing tidily.

Collin Morikawa has been quite measured in his round thus far as he knocks in for par at the fourth.

By contrast, Nicolai Hojgaard has been hitting some big tee shots but the 25-year-old has been struggling for a bit of composure in this round.

Matt Wallace is another player absolutely fuming as he turns in disgust after his tee shot on 17 - but it's actually a 327-yard ripper on the fairway - I'd hate to see him after a bad one!

Ah, there it is, we don't have to wait long as his second shot is air mailed well wide left of the green and high up on the bank. Now that's definitely one to be cheesed off with.

Ben Croucher
BBC Sport journalist at Royal Birkdale

There was a time in his beefed up years that Bryson Dechambeau was a very polarising figure.

He’s mellowed somewhat now and, aided by a hugely successful YouTube channel, he’s a really hit with the younger spectators.

On Monday, I saw him take care to sign as many autographs as possible and pose for photos with the waiting masses by the 18th.

He gives the fans what they want. And after missing all three major cuts so far, yesterday's opening round mean it would take quite the implosion for those fans not to see him this weekend.

Re 10:21...

Wyndham Clark made double bogey on the second after a wild tee shot into the rough, and on the third he finds himself on a steep mound by the green in knee-high fescue.

He studies it for an age, then takes a mighty swing but sees the ball just pop up and fall down the hill mere feet away - there's not quite steam coming out of his ears but it can't be far off.

The Birkdale lockers all just collectively winced.