Padraig Harrington is currently in joint second place after shooting a -5 under par 67 in the first round of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at the Dundonald Links.
The three-time Major winner, whose last victory came at the Portugal Masters in October, finds himself two strokes behind the Thursday leader Mikko Ilonen.
Harrington is one of a cluster of players on -5, a grouping which includes Rickie Fowler and Ian Poulter.
He hit four birdies in a blemish free outward nine and hit the turn on -4. His back nine was more of a mixed bag as he recorded two bogeys alongside three more birdies.
But he scrambled well, chipping in for a par on the 16th hitting his approach shot into the bushes.
Ladies and gentlemen, Padraig Harrington! pic.twitter.com/pfYhnswfGy
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 13, 2017
He followed that up with a birdie on 17 to leave him well placed after the opening round as he seeks to register his first victory of 2017.
In sharp contrast, Rory McIlroy, also winless this year, faces an uphill battle to avoid a third missed cut in four events after struggling to an opening 74.
McIlroy was hoping that memories of his last appearance in the event would kick-start his injury-hit season, the world number four finishing 14th at Royal Aberdeen in 2014 before going on to win the Open Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and US PGA in his next three starts.
But instead the 28-year-old produced a repeat of the recent form which saw him miss the cut in the US Open in June and in the defence of his Irish Open title last week.
Starting from the 10th, McIlroy bogeyed the 11th and 12th and then spun his approach to the 13th back into the burn which guards the front of the green.
The resulting double bogey was at least followed by a first birdie of the day on the par-five 14th, but another bogey on the 18th - where he pitched into a greenside bunker - took the four-time major winner to the turn in 40.
There was better news on the front nine as McIlroy took advantage of the two par fives and also birdied the seventh, but a bogey on the ninth left the Northern Irishman two over par, nine strokes behind the Finn Ilonen.
While McIlroy struggled, Paul Dunne continued his fine run of form with an opening round of 68 that left him just one shot off the lead.
Dunne actually led the tournament at one stage, having birdied the opening two holes and adding another at the eighth to go out in 33.
Further birdies came at 11 and 14, before a lone blot on the Irishman's card at the 15th.
Graeme McDowell also faces a struggle to be around for the weekend after shooting a three-over 75.
