Liberated McIlroy sets Scottish Open pace
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- Rory McIlroy opened with a five-under 65 at The Renaissance Club to share the Scottish Open first-round lead with Rasmus Hojgaard, Patrick Cantlay, Tom Kim and Bernd Wiesberger, with only Hojgaard among the five coming from the afternoon wave that faced tougher conditions.
- McIlroy bogeyed two of his first three holes on the back nine before draining an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-five first and adding birdies on seven and eight, calling the lighter schedule a "very liberating feeling" after a bogey-sand save on the par-three ninth.
- Scottie Scheffler battled firmer greens and stiffening wind in the afternoon for a two-under 68, saying he liked keeping a clean card but wished he had taken better advantage of the par fives.
- Jon Rahm shot a three-over 73 — his first PGA Tour event outside majors since switching to LIV Golf in December 2023 — making his first birdie only on the 15th and needing back-to-back gains just to reach that score.
- Brooks Koepka returned to the Scottish Open after an 11-year absence and sat one shot off the lead at four under, while home favourite Robert MacIntyre played alongside McIlroy and carded a 67 while leaning on "acceptance" to keep his temper in check.
Why it matters: McIlroy's continued strong starts on a lighter schedule — this is just his third event outside majors since April — suggest his post-Grand Slam motivation is holding, with the 2023 Scottish Open title now in reach. The Rahm result, meanwhile, underscores how thin his PGA Tour starts outside majors remain after the LIV move, with a 73 leaving him well outside the cut line heading into day two.
