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.

Rory McIlroy played his opening round at the Scottish Open alongside Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele - and the marquee group was followed by the vast bulk of the crowd

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

Rory McIlroy is in northern Scotland for the Scottish Open, the final warm-up event ahead of The Open at St Andrews, and it's clear to see the world No. 2's star is as bright as ever

Rory McIlroy is looking to end his golden year with a strong performance at next week's Open Championship, and has issued a subtle reminder to his PGA Tour rivals ahead of Portrush

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.

Speaking ahead of the Scottish Open, McIlroy said that longevity was an “under appreciated” part of an athletic career, and shouted out some fellow sporting veterans such as Novak Djokovic, who just advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals at 38.

Watch Rory McIlroy in action on Sky Sports at the Scottish Open from Thursday through to Sunday, and at The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush the following weekend; watch the tournaments live this month on