Rory McIlroy Sparkles at Scottish Open

BBC Golf: Rory McIlroy Bounces Back with Strong Start at Scottish Open

Rory McIlroy, the world’s second-ranked golfer, made a compelling start to the defense of his Scottish Open title, carding a five-under-par 65 to sit just a shot off the clubhouse lead. Competing for the first time since narrowly missing out on a fifth major championship at the US Open, the Northern Irishman showcased his resilience with an impressive performance at the £7 million event.

McIlroy’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the third hole, his 12th of the day, as well as five birdies. However, the 35-year-old acknowledged he faced some early challenges, stating, “I hit a couple of shots over the first few holes that I haven’t seen in practice over the last 10 days, so it was a bit of a reminder that golf isn’t as easy as sometimes I think it is.”

“I felt like I left a couple out there as well, but overall a good start, especially after the scrappy start over the first six or seven holes.”

Nonetheless, the former world No. 1 soon found his rhythm, particularly on the front nine, where he struck some powerful drives and precise iron shots, giving himself numerous birdie opportunities.

Joining McIlroy on the five-under-par mark was Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood, who was delighted to have his long-term caddie, Ian Finnis, back on the bag after Finnis underwent open-heart surgery earlier this year. “It feels great,” Fleetwood said. “It feels nice to have had a really good round in his first week, for him more than anything. We did a great job. Everything sort of flowed, really, today.”

The top of the leaderboard is shared by Germany’s Max Kieffer and China’s Li Haotong, both of whom carded six-under-par 64s to claim the clubhouse lead.

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