GOLF: Rory McIlroy shares lead after Scottish Open first round

Rory McIlroy opened his Scottish Open campaign with a 5-under-par 65 on Thursday to earn a share of the first-round lead at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland.

Despite missing several short putts, McIlroy was pleased with his overall performance and finished tied at the top of the leaderboard with South Korea's Tom Kim, Austria's Bernd Wiesberger, Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard, and American Patrick Cantlay.

Brooks Koepka, Australia's Min Woo Lee, and five other players were one shot behind at 4-under.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler carded a 2-under 68 after making three consecutive birdies before dropping a shot on the 11th hole. He ended the day tied for 27th.

McIlroy recovered from an inconsistent start by making back-to-back birdies and saving par from a bunker on the ninth hole. His highlight came at the par-5 first, where he drained a long putt for eagle, helping him capitalize on the course's scoring opportunities.

"I played the par 5s well," McIlroy said. "One putt dropped for eagle and two two-putt birdies always helps the card. Overall, it's a great start to the tournament."

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, the 2023 Scottish Open champion, shot a 3-under 67 to sit two strokes off the lead alongside U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and several others.

Defending champion Chris Gotterup finished with a 2-under 68 after bogeying his final hole, leaving him tied for 27th.

Kim, meanwhile, surged into contention with four birdies over a five-hole stretch on the front nine after making the turn at 1 under.

"I think you have to be really patient," Kim said. "Links golf rewards players who stay mentally tough, and I've always enjoyed coming back here."

The Scottish Open continues Friday, with a tightly packed leaderboard setting up an early battle ahead of next week's British Open. -Field Level Media/Reuters