Rasmus Hojgaard produced an evening surge to join Rory McIlroy at the top of the Scottish Open leaderboard after the first round at Renaissance Club. The Danish golfer, who was part of Luke Donald's winning Ryder Cup team alongside McIlroy last autumn, held the outright lead at six under par with three holes to play. However, a double bogey at his 16th hole dropped him back, before he responded with a birdie at the penultimate hole to finish at five under par.
Five-Way Tie at the Top
Hojgaard's 65 placed him in a five-man group leading the tournament, which includes McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, South Korea's Tom Kim, and Austria's Bernd Wiesberger. McIlroy also carded a 65, matching Hojgaard's score, as both Ryder Cup teammates sit atop the leaderboard heading into day two.
Jon Rahm Struggles on Return
While Hojgaard and McIlroy impressed, their European Ryder Cup teammate Jon Rahm endured a difficult return to the Scottish Open. The LIV Golf star, playing in his first PGA Tour event since joining the Saudi-backed series, entered the week as a pre-tournament favourite but shot a three-over-par 73. Despite two late birdies, Rahm ended the day at three over par, leaving him in danger of missing the cut. He will need a strong performance on Friday to make the weekend and gain competitive rounds ahead of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale next week.
Scottish Players in Contention
Scotland's Calum Hill joined Bob MacIntyre as the top Scottish players after shooting a 67. Hill received a special post-round greeting from his seven-week-old son Josh, who flew in from the United States with wife Miranda. "Yeah, it is nice to see them. They landed this morning, and it’s nice to see Josh as it’s been about three weeks since I saw him," Hill said. He is chasing a spot in next week's Open and added: "That’s the goal. I want to play well enough to give myself a chance."
