Summary

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Live Reporting

George O'Neill, Jack Herrall and Martin Watt

  1. Kirk -4 (5)

    Chris Kirk, having picked up his fourth birdie in his opening five holes, is in trouble at the sixth as his birdie putt races miles past the hole.

  2. Martin Watt
    BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

    It really is a scorcher out on the Renaissance Club links today.

    Mercifully, there's a bit of breeze to take a slight edge off the heat. The packed galleries are lapping up this glorious Scottish weather.

    General view of the Renaissance ClubSNS

  3. Scheffler under way

    World number one Scottie Scheffler's first tee shot of the tournament isn't his finest work, but he seems to have a decent lie in the rough.

    Playing partners Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood also miss the fairway and are in some thicker grass short of Scheffler's ball.

  4. Kirk -3 (4)

    American Chris Kirk has made a flying start.

    Three birdies in his opening four holes put him within two shots of the lead.

  5. McIlroy finishes with share of lead

    McIlroy 65, MacIntyre 67, Gotterup 68

    Out of the sand, Rory McIlroy flings it into the sky with a serious amount of spin.

    Using the slope at the back of the green, the ball hits the deck and zips back towards the hole. Ridiculous stuff.

    Bob MacIntyre, going for a similarly remarkable attempt from a bunker on the other side of the green, is within an inch or so of holing out for birdie. A tap-in par follows.

    Chris Gotterup has about five feet for par, but it lips out as he records a bogey on the last.

    With the final putt of the day for this group, McIlroy saves his par to card a 65, taking a share of the lead into the clubhouse.

  6. Rahm returns

    An already stacked field this week has an extra sprinkling of stardust thanks to the return of Jon Rahm.

    The Spaniard - a two-time major winner - plays his first PGA Tour event outside of majors since his switch to LIV Golf in December 2023.

    Rahm, who last played the Scottish Open four years ago, is joined by Tyrrell Hatton plus another five LIV colleagues in the line-up at this PGA Tour/DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament.

    Plenty of fans will be following Rahm's progress - he tees off at 14:05 alongside Alex Fitzpatrick and Rasmus Hojgaard.

    Jon RahmSNS

  7. McIlroy -5, MacIntyre -3, Gotterup -3 (17)

    All 210 yards of the par-three ninth remain for this group, another birdie here and Rory McIlroy will take the outright lead before he tucks into his lunch.

    It's looking pretty unlikely, though, as his tee shot has just nestled into a bunker.

    Chris Gotterup can't find the green either, he's in some rough to the side of the short stuff.

    Last to hit is Bob MacIntyre, who watches on in agony as his ball looks set to roll onto the green but lacks the required momentum and trundles into the sand.

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    Right, neck on the line time.

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  9. McIlroy moves into joint lead

    McIlroy -5, MacIntyre -3, Gotterup -3 (17)

    McIlroyGetty Images

    The first birdie of the day on the eighth comes from Rory McIlroy.

    He's putting uphill, allowing him the chance to get right behind it, and it drops in at speed. A well-weighted attempt takes him into a share of the lead.

    Moments later, and we have our second of the day as Chris Gotterup drops a remarkably similar putt.

    Bob MacIntyre almost makes it three, but his putt falls just a foot short. He taps in for par.

  10. McIlroy -4, MacIntyre -3, Gotterup -2 (16)

    After three perfect tee shots, all three find the green with their approach shots.

    It may look routine, but the eighth hole, their 17th of the day, is currently playing as the hardest hole on the course.

    Anyone who birdies here will be chuffed with themselves for sure, given there hasn't been one yet today.

    There was one eagle, though.

  11. Scheffler a man on mission

    One thing missing from Scottie Scheffler's impressive CV is a win on Scottish soil.

    The world number one is determined to put that right this week.

    The Scottish Open trophy sure would look nice sitting alongside the Claret Jug on the Scheffler mantelpiece.

    Scheffler, who is out at 13:43 today with English pair Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood, said at his pre-tournament presser: “I didn’t come over here just for smoke and prep, I came to play golf and play well.

    “I don’t think I’ve played in the final group here yet, so it would be nice to get up near the lead and experience that as well.”

    Scottie SchefflerGetty Images

  12. McIlroy -4, MacIntyre -3, Gotterup -2 (16)

    All three find the fairway on their penultimate hole of the day.

    No excuses for not finding the green now, then.

  13. McCarty 67, Norris 68, Canter 69

    Martin Watt
    BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

    It was all going so well for Matt McCarty - until the 18th.

    The American carded a double-bogey after a costly drive into the bunker.

    From a share of top spot he slips to a three-under 67.

    England's Laurie Canter bounces back from his bogey on 17 to make par for a 69.

  14. McIlroy moves to within one of lead

    McIlroy -4, MacIntyre -3, Gotterup -2 (16)

    Wow.

    Bob MacIntyre's third stops a couple of feet short of holing out. What a recovery that would have been. He settles for an impressive birdie.

    Following in similarly dramatic fashion, Rory McIlroy's 60-foot eagle attempt hits the cup and bounces out. He taps in for birdie to move him within one of the lead.

    Another eagle attempt for Chris Gotterup, it's tracking well, it's on a perfect line, but it stops a foot shy of the hole.

    He also taps in for a birdie.

  15. Cantlay signs for 65

    There are now three men in the clubhouse with a 65 after Patrick Cantlay makes a superb up-and-down to finish his opening round with a par.

  16. McIlroy -3, MacIntyre -2, Gotterup -1 (15)

    Chris Gotterup is first to hit his approach and fizzes one to the front edge of the green. It takes a delicate bounce and rolls through the mound of the green, coming to rest 20 feet from the pin.

    Rory McIlroy's shot is shaping up to follow Gotterup's, but the bounce isn't as fortuitous, and it rests at the front of the green. A 60-footer left for him.

    MacIntyre advances his 200 or so yards out of the rough... but can only find more rough. He's got just under 100 yards to go.

  17. Koepka 66, Lee 66, Forrest 69

    Martin Watt
    BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

    Brooks Koepka completes a rollercoaster round with a fine birdie on the birdie-three ninth where his tee shot threatened the hole.

    The American - in his first outing here since 2011 - is nicely poised one stroke off the clubhouse lead.

    Koepka made serene progress to the turn in four under, but his back nine was far more eventful with three bogeys and three birdies.

    Min Woo Lee also cards 66, having dropped a shot on his penultimate hole.

    Scotland's Craig Forrest finishes the day one under with a closing par.

  18. McIlroy -3, MacIntyre -2, Gotterup -1 (15)

    Bob MacIntyre is in the rough up the left-hand side of the seventh, his 16th.

    Both Rory McIlroy and Chris Gotterup find the fairway with routine tee shots.

    A 575-yard par five is what they're contending with here.

  19. Wiesberger joins Kim in clubhouse

    Bernd Wiesberger taps in for par on the ninth hole.

    That's a 65 for the Austrian, who joins Tom Kim as the clubhouse leader.

  20. McIlroy -3, MacIntyre -2, Gotterup -1 (15)

    A right-to-left look for Rory McIlroy's birdie, he strikes it confidently, but it skirts under the hole with a tap-in par putt to follow.

    Defending champion Chris Gotterup holds his nerve to sink his par putt, Bob MacIntyre following likewise.

    Three holes to go.