Knapp Shares Four-Way Scottish Open Lead at 64

Jake Knapp is enjoying his time playing links golf and took a significant step toward extending his stay by posting a 6-under 64 in the first round of the Scottish Open, tying for the lead with Sepp Straka, Nico Echavarria, and Victor Perez. The challenging, windy conditions at The Renaissance Club made scoring tough, with Rory McIlroy needing to birdie his last three holes for a 68 and Scottie Scheffler finishing three shots back at 67. Knapp and Perez have not yet qualified for the British Open at Royal Portrush, which is offering spots to the top three players at the Scottish Open not already in the field, giving them motivation to perform well. Scheffler, who missed last year's event to spend time with his newborn son, expressed some frustration at not capitalizing fully on his chances despite a solid round. McIlroy admitted to struggling with the wind, hitting only four of 13 fairways, and assessed his performance at about 80% of his desired level ahead of his return to Northern Ireland. Knapp plans to leave for Boston and then California on Monday but hopes to change his schedule if his performance allows.