The 36-hole lead at the 2025 Scottish Open belongs to Chris Gotterup, who fired a second round 61 to tie the course record at the Renaissance Club and take a two-shot lead into the weekend at 11 under.

So it's no surprise that a star like Rory McIlroy didn't soften his performance during the first round of the Scottish Open: "It was a scrappy start," he summed it up. It's fair to say that things improved markedly for the Northern Irishman as the day progressed.

By the time Rory McIlroy reached the sixth tee box, he could already sense he wasn't far from the danger zone at the Scottish Open on Thursday.