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.

Jake Knapp is loving links golf so much he’d like to extend his stay another week, and he took a step toward that Thursday with a 6-under 64 that put him in a four-way share of the lead after the opening round of the Scottish 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.

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

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

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.

The PGA Tour is set to begin its first of back-to-back tournaments in Europe with the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, on Thursday. The 2025 Scottish Open will be co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour for the fourth straight year.