Sepp Straka had eight birdies in his round of 64, also joined by Nico Echavarria and Victor Perez atop the leaderboard alongside Knapp. Four other players were one shot behind, while Scottie Scheffler had to settle for a 67 and was three back.

The 153rd Open Championship is set to return to Royal Portrush, bringing together the world’s best golfers for one of the most anticipated weekends in the sport. All eyes are on American Xander Schauffele,

PGA Tour Golfer Abruptly Withdraws During First Round at Scottish Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Through the opening round of the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, Sepp Straka, Nico Echavarria and Jake Knapp share a one-shot lead at 6‑under par, each carding a 65 in benign morning conditions.

One of the many players to watch this weekend will be Rory McIlroy. The 2023 Scottish Open winner has had some struggles since winning the Masters in April, and hopes he can find his game before returning home for The Open. Robert MacIntyre won last year’s tournament and would love to head into the final major of the season on a high.