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McIlroy Shares Scottish Open Lead With Strong Opening Round

Posted : 10 July 2026

Rory McIlroy opened his Scottish Open campaign in impressive fashion, carding a five-under 65 on Thursday to sit tied atop the leaderboard after round one. The tournament, staged at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick just outside Edinburgh, is contested on links terrain similar to what players will face at the British Open, set to begin next week at Royal Birkdale near Liverpool for its 154th staging.

McIlroy, who earlier this year became only the sixth golfer ever to capture a career Grand Slam after his Masters triumph in April, said he was encouraged by how he handled his first links test of the season.

He noted that his ball-striking off the tee had been particularly sharp, a trend he first noticed at the US Open in Shinnecock a few weeks earlier.

Keeping the ball in play, he explained, allows him to play more aggressively and create scoring chances, and his strong performance on the par-fives—hitting all three in regulation, converting one eagle putt, and picking up two additional birdies—helped shape a low round.

The world number two shares top spot with Tom Kim, Bernd Wiesberger, Patrick Cantlay, and Rasmus Hojgaard, while five-time major champion Brooks Koepka sits just one shot back at four under. McIlroy's group for the day included Robert MacIntyre and reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark—together making up a trio of the tournament's last three winners—both of whom carded 67s.

Clark's round was especially notable given he was three over through his first four holes before rallying. MacIntyre spoke warmly about playing in front of a home crowd, describing the atmosphere as electric and crediting the energy from fellow competitors and fans alike.

Elsewhere, world number one Scottie Scheffler didn't have his sharpest stuff but still managed a two-under 68. Jon Rahm, playing his first PGA Tour event outside the majors since his high-profile switch to LIV Golf in 2023, had a tougher day, needing late birdies just to limit the damage to a three-over 73.

 

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