Sepp Straka had eight birdies in his round of 64, also joined by Nico Echavarria and Victor Perez atop the leaderboard alongside Knapp. Four other players were one shot behind, while Scottie Scheffler had to settle for a 67 and was three back.

Rory McIlroy finished two-under after his opening round at the Scottish Open - a strong card considering his bogey on the opening hole - in large part thanks to a miraculous par save

Rory McIlroy shook off a slow start and tricky winds to close his opening round at the Scottish Open on a high note.

Rory McIlroy is in northern Scotland for the Scottish Open, the final warm-up event ahead of The Open at St Andrews, and it's clear to see the world No. 2's star is as bright as ever

Speaking ahead of the Scottish Open, McIlroy said that longevity was an “under appreciated” part of an athletic career, and shouted out some fellow sporting veterans such as Novak Djokovic, who just advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals at 38.

McIlroy has played this event twice since he became co-sanctioned in 2022, winning in 2023 and finishing T-4 last year. He closed well at the U.S. Open and carried that over into the Travelers Championship where he tied for sixth, so he's gaining some momentum as he regains his focus before next week's Open.

Watch Rory McIlroy in action on Sky Sports at the Scottish Open from Thursday through to Sunday, and at The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush the following weekend; watch the tournaments live this month on