NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — Rory McIlroy staged a dramatic late rally to salvage his opening round at the Scottish Open, while Sepp Straka defied his own "very low expectations" to claim a share of the lead on Thursday.
McIlroy's Resilient Finish
The four-time major champion struggled early, carding two bogeys in his first five holes at The Renaissance Club. However, McIlroy found his rhythm on the back nine, closing with four birdies in his final six holes to post a two-under 68. "It wasn’t pretty early on, but I dug deep when it mattered," McIlroy said afterward.
Key moments in McIlroy’s recovery included:
- A 25-foot birdie putt on the 13th to regain momentum
- Precise approach shots setting up tap-in birdies at 15 and 17
- Nearly holing out for eagle from 160 yards on the 18th
Straka Surprises Himself
Austria’s Sepp Straka, who admitted having "very low expectations" coming into the tournament, fired a bogey-free 63 to join Tom Kim atop the leaderboard. The 2022 Honda Classic winner credited his putting: "I rolled it beautifully today — probably the best I’ve felt with the flatstick all season."
Straka’s round featured:
- 7 birdies, including 4 in a 5-hole stretch from the 4th to 8th
- Perfect scrambling (4/4 on sand saves)
- Just 24 putts despite tricky coastal winds
Weather Plays Its Part
Morning starters enjoyed calmer conditions before afternoon winds gusting to 25 mph made scoring significantly tougher. The scoring average rose by nearly two full strokes between the early and late waves. "We got the good side of the draw today," conceded Straka, who teed off at 7:40 AM.
Notable Performances
Other standouts included:
- Tom Kim (63) matching Straka’s pace with 8 birdies
- Defending champion Xander Schauffele opening with 67
- World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler grinding out 68 despite wayward driving
Scheffler, playing alongside McIlroy, remarked: "The wind made club selection really tricky — I hit some shots I thought were perfect that ended up 20 yards short. But hanging around par on a day like this keeps you in it."
Looking Ahead
With more challenging weather forecast for Friday’s second round, players emphasized patience. McIlroy noted: "Links golf rewards creativity — sometimes you have to play a 7-iron like a 5-iron and just trust it. The leaders might not be at 10-under come Sunday."
Straka remained cautiously optimistic about maintaining his form: "I’ll try to keep the same mindset — fairways and greens, take the birdies when they come. But I know how quickly things can change out here."
The Scottish Open serves as the final tune-up before next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, where McIlroy will look to end his nine-year major drought. His strong finish Thursday suggested he’s finding form at the right time, while Straka’s surprise performance adds intrigue to the weekend. As winds pick up and the leaderboard tightens, the Renaissance Club’s fescue-lined fairways promise to deliver a proper links test before golf’s oldest championship.
