Rory McIlroy, who has been blind and unconscious since the US Open, looked like his major champion self on Thursday at the Renaissance Club as he opened the 2026 Scottish Open with a sensational 5-under 65. The 2023 champion shares early pole position with several others including Tom Kim, Patrick Cantlay, Rasmus Hugaard and fellow former tournament champion Bernd Wiesberger.
“For the most part, I thought I played well,” McIlroy said. “I felt like I drove the ball particularly well. You started seeing that a few weeks ago at Shinnecock (Hills). I feel like I can keep putting the ball in play and when I can do that, I can attack the course and create scoring opportunities. We did that today.”
“I played the par 5s well. I think I hit all three greens in regulation. You know, I had one putt for eagle and two two-putt birdies. That always helps the cards. Overall, it was good to have my first round of competitive golf at Links Golf Course. It was obviously a great start to the tournament.”
Despite a poor start, McIlroy sealed the match with an early bogey. He played the par-5 at 4 under thanks to a spectacular eagle on the par-5 first hole (the 10th hole of the day, the former 10th hole before the golf course was rerouted this year) and kept the ball in front of him the rest of the way.
“I haven’t played a lot over the past few months, but I think everything started off really well in the tournament,” McIlroy said. “So it’s not like I’m going to come in and start slow, and I think a little bit of extra practice will actually help in some ways.”
Among the teams that are closing in on a one-stroke difference, attention is focused on the top five players, led by five-time major champion Brooks Koepka. Koepka missed some short putts to start the tournament, but worked hard to score a 66, tying Min Woo Lee, who won this tournament in a playoff with Matt Fitzpatrick and Thomas Detrie in 2021.
Speaking of Fitzpatrick, the Englishman was featured in the afternoon’s featured group, along with world number one Scottie Scheffler and compatriot Tommy Fleetwood. The trio was impressive in its own right, with Fitzpatrick and Fleetwood shooting 67s, but Scheffler was even worse with a 68 due to a few wedge shots.
“I did some good things,” Scheffler said. “I wish I could have hit a few more shots, but overall I think I was pretty solid. The two bogeys hurt because I want to keep a clean card. But I could have played the par 5s a little better. I didn’t take advantage of that today. But overall, nothing crazy. Just a decent day.”
leader
T1. Tom Kim, Bernd Wiesberger, Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy, Rasmus Hoygaard (-5): McIlroy certainly of Although his name is unknown among the leaders, it is good to see Kim continue to do well. The 24-year-old caught the ball on a string Thursday as players tried to corner Windham Clark at the U.S. Open on Sunday. He hit the ball in the regulation 10 fairways and 15 greens while extending more than five strokes down the field. Kim missed four putts from within 8 feet during the round, and despite bleeding on the field with his putter, he drew six circles on his scorecard, highlighting the great effort he put into hitting the ball.
“I think you have to be really patient, accept the results and it’s always unfair that the mentally tough players are rewarded,” Kim said. “I really like the idea of going into the week with a good game plan. I always love coming back here and playing links golf.”
contestant
T6. Andrew Novak, Brooks Koepka, Minwoo Lee, Michael Thorbjornsen, Kurt Kitayama, Angel Ayora, Oliver Lindell (-4)
T13. Michael Brennan, Danny Willett, Tom McKibbin, Corey Connors, Callum Hill, Joost Luiten, Matt Fitzpatrick, Matt McCarty, Robert McIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Windham Clarke, Keita Nakajima, Kevin Roy (-3)
It’s one big party behind the leader, with major champions like Koepka, Fitzpatrick and Clark at its heart. Koepka was particularly noteworthy, missing putts from 4 feet, 5 feet and 7 feet just outside the blocks and playing the remaining 15 holes at 6 under.
Koepka had gained momentum heading into the summer, but his progress came to a halt when he was forced to miss the Canadian Open. He missed out on a spot at the U.S. Open the following week, but as of Thursday, he looked like a player whose putting performance was enough to make him a serious threat to win the tournament.
“I felt like there were some things I was working on the last few days,” Koepka said. “Then I finally felt comfortable around the fifth or sixth hole, and everything started to click, the way I hit the ball, the flight control, the spin. I’m glad I started to gain a little bit of confidence from there. I missed four short shots about 5 feet on the inside, but I had good putts from 15 feet.”
row in the wrong direction
There was a point late in the first round where two players became two players. — stood between Jon Rahm and the bottom of the leaderboard. The Spaniard was able to regain some ground in the closing stages thanks to a few birdies and a 73, but it was yet another disappointing result in a major tournament. Rahm missed the first five greens of regulation and hit only 8 on the day, including his only 6 on the fairway. He is tied for 138th at 3 over and will be fighting for the cut line again on Friday as he heads into the weekend in his final start before the British Open.
2026 Scottish Open odds and picks updated
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
- Rory McIlroy: 4-1
- Scotty Scheffler: 7-1
- Patrick Cantlay: 11-1
- Tommy Fleetwood: 15-1
- Matt Fitzpatrick: 16 wins, 1 loss
- Tom Kim: 19-1
- Lee Min Woo: 21 wins, 1 loss
- Kurt Kitayama: 21-1
McIlroy is one of the early pace setters, but is well within reach of the chasing pack. Fitzpatrick did nothing to shake his initial lead on Thursday, but the Englishman had four birdies to just one bogey on the scorecard while taking advantage of just one of the par fives. In the process, he also hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation.
