The reigning Masters champion, Rory McIlroy, cannot escape the trolls as his latest trim has them questioning who the barber was.

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.

After the first round of the Genesis Scottish Open, Rory McIlroy (68) talks about his adjustment to the links-style greens and Viktor Hovland (66) comments on a clean scorecard and the state of his game before The Open.

McIlroy has played this event twice since he became co-sanctioned in 2022, winning in 2023 and finishing T-4 last year. He closed well at the U.S. Open and carried that over into the Travelers Championship where he tied for sixth, so he's gaining some momentum as he regains his focus before next week's Open.

Sepp Straka had eight birdies in his round of 64, also joined by Nico Echavarria and Victor Perez atop the leaderboard alongside Knapp.

Rory McIlroy showed the utmost respect for the sporting longevity he himself has achieved and gave examples of stars from other sports in comparison.

McIlroy emerged victorious at the 2023 edition of the Scottish Open, beating home hopeful Robert MacIntyre, who went on to win the title last year, by one stroke

Before the 2025 Scottish Open, Rory McIlroy had an unexpected encounter with comedian Troy Hawke, known for his quirky greetings. Hawke, dressed in a