Straka sets target as Scheffler makes solid Scottish Open start

Scottish Open first round leaderboard (finishers only)

-6 S Straka (Aut), J Knapp (US), N Echavarria (Col); -5 C Hill (Sco), M Siem (Ger); -4 W Clark (US); -3 S Scheffler (US), R Gerard (US), H Norlander (Swe), M McNealy (US), T Olesen (Den), J Vegas (Col), L Aberg (Swe); S Burns (US), A Del Rey (Spn), E Smylie (Aus)

Selected others: -2 R MacIntyre (Sco), C Morikawa (US); -1 J Thomas (US), P Harrington (Ire), A Scott (Aus)

Sepp Straka set the early target on the opening day of the Scottish Open as world number one Scottie Scheffler “hung in there nicely” to be ominously well-placed on a congested leaderboard.

Austria’s Straka, chasing his third PGA Tour win of the year, shared the clubhouse lead on six under at the Renaissance Club alongside American Jake Knapp and Nico Echavarria of Colombia.

Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre opened his title defence with a two-under 68, one adrift of playing partner Scheffler.

Scotland’s Calum Hill was one off the lead after posting a blemish-free 65.

Given his poor Scottish Open record, and missing the cut last year, Straka admits he arrived with “very low expectations” despite fine recent form.

A razor-sharp short game helped him shine this time in sun-baked East Lothian.

Starting on the par-five 10th, Straka got the ball rolling with back-to-back birdies and was four under at the turn.

Three birdies in a row followed from the third to give the European Ryder Cup star the outright lead before before he immediately wobbled with successive bogeys.

The response was magnificent, though, as he chipped in from left of the eighth green to complete a fine day’s work.

“The game’s been in really good shape coming into here,” Straka said. “The low expectations come from just not having performed at this course.

“My short game was really nice. I chipped it really well, made some putts and I hit the ball okay. Driver was a little bit squirrely but short game saved me today.”

Scheffler opened with an eagle on the 10th and picked up a further two strokes, but an untidy finish featured bogeys on four and six.

“I wish I would have played a little bit better after that [eagle],” said the American. “But overall, I felt like I did some good things out there and hung in there nicely and put up a decent score.”