Tommy Fleetwood energized the crowd at Royal Birkdale with an impressive front nine, featuring three birdies, but his quest to be the first English winner of The Open in 34 years faced challenges as the day progressed.

Fleetwood began his round with a stunning 73-foot birdie putt at the first hole, igniting cheers from the home crowd. He continued his momentum with birdies at the driveable par-four fifth and another at the seventh, reaching a commendable eight under.

However, his fortunes shifted dramatically on the turn. After an unforced error on the ninth led to a bogey, he dropped back to six under. In a bizarre sequence, world number one Scottie Scheffler also faltered, while overnight leader Sam Burns struggled, hitting a ditch for a third consecutive bogey.

As the round progressed, Cameron Young surged ahead, reaching the 18th tee at 10 under after seven birdies. Despite a challenging finish that included a bogey, he managed to secure the clubhouse lead with a score of 64, finishing at nine under.

Si Woo Kim emerged as the leader on the course with back-to-back birdies, reaching 10 under. Following closely was Ryan Fox, who scrambled to be one under through seven holes. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy struggled with a lackluster performance, ending the day with a 71, finishing at one under.