Rory McIlroy is among five golfers sharing the early lead at the Genesis Scottish Open after the opening round. The tournament, co-sanctioned by the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour, is being held at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian, Scotland. Scottie Scheffler is also in contention, positioned a few strokes behind the leaders.
McIlroy, making his first start since the US Open, posted a five-under 65. He is tied at the top with Patrick Cantlay, Rasmus Højgaard, Tom Kim, and Bernd Wiesberger. This performance marks a strong start for McIlroy, who previously won this event.
His round included an eagle, five birdies, and two bogeys. McIlroy began his round on the back nine, where he bogeyed his first hole. He quickly recovered with a two-putt birdie at the par-five 12th, followed by additional shots gained at the 14th and 16th holes.
Despite failing to save par at the 18th, McIlroy secured an 18-foot eagle at the par-five first hole. He noted that he drove the ball particularly well, a skill he felt was also evident at the US Open. This ability to consistently place the ball allows him to attack courses and create scoring opportunities.
Cantlay completed a bogey-free round with five birdies. Wiesberger briefly held the sole lead before a bogey on his penultimate hole. Højgaard also reached six under par but encountered a double-bogey at the par-four 16th, which impacted his position. He was the top performer in the afternoon wave after a birdie at the par-three 17th.
Kim rounded out the group of five leaders, also carding a five-under 65 earlier in the day. The leaderboard is tightly packed, with 71 players separated by five strokes after the first round.
Among those close to the lead is Brooks Koepka, who is part of a group one shot behind. Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood are two strokes back, alongside local favourite Bob MacIntyre and US Open champion Wyndham Clark.
Scheffler is three strokes behind the leaders. His round of two-under 68 included four birdies and two bogeys. He expressed a desire for a cleaner card and felt he could have played the par-fives more effectively. Scheffler will be looking to defend his title at The Open next week.
Clark, despite a double-bogey and a bogey in his first four holes, remains within two shots of the lead. His recent form has been strong, with four top-10 finishes in nine starts since April 1, including two wins. The Renaissance Club has historically been a favourable course for Clark, where he has never finished worse than T25 in his four appearances.
The tournament venue, The Renaissance Club, has hosted the event for seven consecutive years. Designed by Tom Doak and constructed in 2008, the course is intended to reflect traditional Scottish golf with a links challenge and rugged terrain. The course’s difficulty can be significantly influenced by coastal winds, which have led to winning scores ranging from seven-under to 18-under in past years.
Other notable players include Aaron Rai, who posted a one-over 71, and Jon Rahm, who needed two late birdies to salvage a three-over 73. Nicolai Højgaard, Rasmus Højgaard’s brother, also showed improved form at a recent event, finishing T14 and demonstrating strong tee-to-green play and putting. He has four top-five finishes this year and has performed well in Scotland previously.
Jake Knapp, returning from an injury that sidelined him for two months, is another player to watch. He had a strong start to 2026 with five consecutive top-15 finishes before his injury. He finished T22 at The Renaissance Club last year, excelling with his driver and putter.
The Genesis Scottish Open serves as a final opportunity for some players to qualify for next week’s Open Championship. All three of the 2026 major champions are participating in this week’s event.
Live coverage of the tournament continues on Friday from 8:30 am on Sky Sports Golf.
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Source: skysports.com
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Charlie Bradshaw is the Senior Football Correspondent at News-GB, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with ten years of reporting experience. He covered Merseyside football before going national. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Liverpool John Moores University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Liverpool, he watches non-league sides and collects old match programmes. “The back page is only ever half the story.”