Rory McIlroy sits three strokes off the lead after an impressive opening round 64 at the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club.
The World No 3 next week returns to the site of his only Open Championship victory when the oldest major comes to Royal Liverpool and McIlroy tuned up with a fine opening round on the links course at Gullane on Scotland's East Coast.
Having taken some time off since his tied-seventh finish in the Travelers Championship, McIlroy returned to action re-invigorated, registering an eagle and six birdies en route to a six-under par start in Scotland.
On a day of low scoring, McIlroy's round was only good enough to sit tied-3rd, three strokes behind leader, Korea's Byeong-Hun An, who carded nine birdies in a 61 to enjoy a two-shot lead over American Davis Riley, with Thomas Detry alongside McIlroy on six under.
Two-time Open Champion Pádraig Harrington is tied-16th after a three-under par 67.
European Open winner Tom McKibbin is in the clubhouse on even par after an opening 70 while 2019 Open winner Shane Lowry bogeyed the last to finish one over on 71.
World number one Scottie Scheffler shot 68 while defending champion Xander Schauffele had to birdie two of his last four holes to return a level-par 70.
Beginning on the 10th, McIlroy birdied five of his opening seven holes, before giving back two strokes around the turn.
McIlroy, whose failures with the putter cost him at last month's US Open at LA Country Club, was in fine form on the greens, draining a 35-foot putt for eagle on the 3rd (his 12th) to get back on track. Another birdie followed on the fifth to get to -6.
Every shot of @McIlroyRory's opening round 64 in two minutes 🤩#GenesisScottishOpen | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/H6AJ75DOcT
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 13, 2023
The 34-year-old said: "I feel like I’m coming in here playing really good golf, producing good results and getting myself in contention and I’m just really trying to do the same things and adapt to the different conditions we’re going to face over the next couple of weeks."
"My mind is pretty much on this week. I've got myself off to a great start and I would love to win the Scottish Open.
"That’s a massive deal in its own right and what that could give me going into the summer… look we’ve got the Open Championship next week but thinking ahead to FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai and all that, it’s an important week.
"I’m focused on this week but it’s great that by playing this week I should be getting a little bit more prepared for links golf again next week as well.
"I didn’t touch my clubs for 10 days after the Travelers but I’ve got some really good feelings in my swing that I think are quite consistent and even if I do take a bit of time away I feel really comfortable getting back into it."It was a nice reset but after today it feels like I came back where I left off."
