Tommy Fleetwood is 70-odd feet from the 10th hole in two and the main objective is to get down in two from there, which he does.

Jon Rahm's birdie try is from much closer in, maybe 20 feet, but the Spaniard can only match Fleetwood's four.

Now that was a decent putt from Scottie Scheffler from almost 40 feet away on the ninth, and it tracks all the way but just pulls up a roll short when bang on line!

The defending champion turns in 33 with just the one birdie and playing pretty nicely, again just not making anything, with five foot his longest putt of the day. The stats says he's not been too hot on approach play so far too.

But five under, three off the lead, with nine holes to play is a pretty decent position to be in.

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Kim Si-woo comes to the party! His brilliant tee shot on the par-three seventh comes to rest five feet from the flag and it's a birdie two for the man from South Korea.

Now he's in the growing group of players just one shot off Ryan Fox's lead.

The group of players clustered below Ryan Fox is swelling.

Very tidily played fifth hole from Cameron Young as he lays up off the tee then pops his chip over the bunker to four feet.

A composed birdie putt later and he's into a share of second.

Bob MacIntyre hasn't been great off the tee yet today and once again he's into the rough at the eighth.

He stays in the long grass after his second shot but chips out superbly to four feet and knocks it in for par.

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Another unconvincing swing from Lucas Herbert at the fourth leaves him short-sided to the right of the green, but he bumps his chip into the bank and leaves himself an eight-footer for par.

And he makes that one! An important save.

Jackson Suber, playing the percentages, fires to the left portion of the green and lags down to three feet before tidying up for par.

Birdie hole next.

It's just a touch clumsy from Bryson DeChambeau with his chip on the fifth, too much pace and landed a yard too far to get an extra speed bump so it races 15 feet past. The birdie chance is no good so it's just a four.

Sam Burns had the pace on his birdie try from a similar length but just not the line as it wandered off to his right.

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport golf reporter at Royal Birkdale

Not seen a larger group of journalists trailing a group than the one trailing DeChambeau and Burns today.

I’d say there are 20-25 reporters and broadcasters hot on their heels, watching every move of the players - and their own step.

The singed fescue and the scorched dunes are treacherous under foot.

Any stumble and fall will be lapped up by the punters.

Rounds will be completed a lot quicker over the weekend compared to Thursday and Friday, when it was taking in the region of five and a half hours - give or take - to play all 18 holes.

The remainder of the tournament will be played in two-balls rather than three-balls, which certainly reduces the amount of waiting around and helps things progress faster.

Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm have completed their first nine holes in a touch under two hours today.

Tommy Fleetwood takes the safe option on the driveable par-four ninth, misses a 25-footer for birdie and walks off with a par four. Southport's finest ends the front nine two under for the day.

Jon Rahm went for the green but wasn't happy with his effort, which leaked right into the rough. It meant a bit of a scenic route to the hole, but a 10-footer secures the Spaniard's par.

Rory McIlroy finishes a trying day with a battling par at the last, getting up and down from the greenside bunker.

Another strange round from the six-time major winner. An eagle, two birdies and three bogeys.

It's a one under 69. Currently six back, he'll probably start tomorrow too far back, but we've seen three 62s this week, so who knows...

A fine tee shot from Bob MacIntyre at the seventh sets up a birdie chance from 10 feet.

Will it drop? Not this time. He stays four off the lead.

Important par for Cameron Young at the fourth as he two putts from 35 feet.

Ryan Gerard safely through the par-three too.

Hang on to your hats - Bryson DeChambeau's back on the fifth tee, the scene of the crime so to speak, and he's got his driver out...

This time though there's no way he's going right, and draws it off the left, misses the green and into the rough, just the regulation scrub though, no need to be stomping around in there.

The wind blows Lucas Herbert's drive to the right and he catches a flyer out of the rough with his second.

From the back of the green, he undercooks his attempted bump and run and leaves 12 feet for par.

Misses it. Bogey. His first since Thursday. Ryan Fox leads on his own.

Jackson Suber looks comfortable. He burns the edge from 30 feet and backs up his birdie on two with a par.

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Here comes Sam Burns - shot 62 yesterday of course and he's two under through four after draining a 15-foot putt on the par three to move to within one of the lead.

He's one of the best putters in the world and with these greens not being that quick and most being pretty flat he'll be a big threat if he can knock it close enough.

There are certainly plenty of people in the mix, Andy.

Twenty five feet for birdie for American Cameron Young at the third. He gives it a sniff, but it drifts by and he stays two back.

Compatriot Ryan Gerard has slipped though, a trip to the native area ultimately costing him a shot.

Incidentally, 5 Live have got former England footballer Stephen Warnock following this group. If you're a fan of his punditry, have a listen!

Scottie Scheffler is a little short on the par-three seventh but luckily the ball doesn't roll all the way down into a swale, so it's not too tough an up and down for par.

I'm going to stop giving updates on Alex Fitzpatrick for a bit unfortunately.

He's just had a bruising encounter with the sixth hole - playing the hardest at Birkdale. After reaching the edge of the green in two, he decides to chip and ends up losing it down the false front.

It costs him a double bogey and he's down to level par, eight off the leaders.