Bob's dink out from the left of the green pulls up well short of what he planned, leaving a long one for birdie that soon turns into a tap-in to save par.

Australian Adam Scott watches his birdie putt skim the edge of the hole and makes his short save for par too.

Scottie Scheffler, as he tends to, makes it look all so easy, though, knocking in a long look for eagle

Bob MacIntyre slings a fairway wood towards the green, and it trickles up the left-hand side, curling slightly towards the hole, which is cut on the opposite side.

World number one Scottie Scheffler sails it 250 yards and watches it land 15ft or so left of the pin - an early look at eagle for the American.

Adam Scott is only able to bunt it out of the scary stuff, leaving himself 100 yards to the pin and flicks a wedge forward to leave himself a chance at birdie.

All three - also starting on the 10th - are off with some decent enough tee shots.

Keep an eye on the 22-year-old Frenchman Martin Couvra, already a winner on this year's DP World Tour at the Turkish Airlines Open, and perhaps with an outside look at a surprise Ryder Cup spot.

The other two are bona fide superstars of the game already, of course.

Bob MacIntyre and Scottie Scheffler split the fairway on the par-five 10th to start their day.

Adam Scott pushes it to the right and finds the thick stuff.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

This was Bob MacIntyre 45 minutes or so ago getting dialled in with a few practice chips.

Starting on the par-five 10th, can the Scot begin his title defence with a birdie? We'll soon find out.

Image source, BBC Sport

American Ryan Gerard is the early leader after a bright and early start.

He's three under through six, with birdies on the first, fourth and fifth, all par fours.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

Prestige, prize fund and links practice are all key factors.

Now in its fourth year as a PGA Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned event, the Scottish Open doesn't lack financial heft, boasting a total purse of $9m (£6.6m) – around $1.5m (£1.1m) of which goes to the winner.

Its pulling power is further enhanced by its slot in the calendar the week before The Open, which this year takes place at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

Players converge on the Scottish Open for vital links preparation and it paid off handsomely last year for Xander Schauffele, who followed his tied 15th-place finish by lifting the Claret Jug seven days later at Royal Troon.

Little wonder that the Scottish Open has "become a staple" in the 31-year-old American's schedule.

"I wish I could have come over here and played earlier in the year to be honest, just from a mental standpoint," Schauffele says.

"Something about playing over here relaxes me a little bit. Something about being here, you start taking your hands off the wheel - and that's how I played my best."

Get a comprehensive preview of the tournament here.

It's time for the 2025 Scottish Open, live from the Renaissance Club, East Lothian.

Scotland's own Bob MacIntyre is the defending champion at his home open, but he will face an almighty task to retain the title in one of the season's strongest fields.

Stick with us for every drive, chip, and putt throughout the day.

Bob's teeing off any minute now in the marquee group also featuring world number one Scottie Scheffler and last year's Scottish Open runner-up Adam Scott.

Image source, SNS