Harry Hall was steady away on day one, shooting a 67, but he's taken full advantage of conditions today.

The Englishman is six under for his round and just two behind leader Chris Gutterup, who has birdied again to reach 11 under.

Image source, Getty Images

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

Remember I said earlier that Keith Mitchell is a cool dude?

Well, just noticed he's wearing tartan trousers. It's a look not everyone is able to pull off, but he sure can.

After his first dropped shot of the day on the previous hole, the American is an agonsing inch short with his birdie attempt on 14.

Nick Taylor also cards three to remain three under for the day and alongside Mitchell on the leaderboard.

Struggling Adrian Otaegui walks off fuming after a three-putt bogey.

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Pars all round on the second hole.

No mean feat on the fourth-toughest hole on the course.

As you were.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

Hovland is still on the fairway. He gets his P wedge out and floats it to within seven feet. The spin, the ball control, it was all perfect.

Here comes Rory. "Look at his swagger," says the lady next to me. I’d swagger like that if I’d pulled off such a rescue mission.

He putts from off the green, bends it round, weights it perfectly… but it’s just wide! Almost the most unlikely birdie.

A tap-in par is a great result after that tee shout though.

Viktor Hovland also walks off with par, with Xander Schauffele making an excellent birdie.

As the morning wave of players makes their way to the scoring tent and some lunch, the afternoon's players are wrapping up warm-ups and teeing off.

What score do they need to shoot if they want to stay for the weekend?

Well, the projected cut line at the moment is pretty simple - you need to be under par.

With such favourable conditions in the morning, that may well change as the day goes on, but a couple under par should be enough as it stands.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

Francesco Molinari is a bit close to the wall for comfort at the par-three 14th green.

With just enough space for a putter backswing, the former Open champ slides it close and saves par.

Sebastien Soderberg and Erik van Rooyen each go one better from inside 10 feet.

Rory McIlroy has found his first tee shot at the third, buried in thick rough with trees between him and the sanctity of the fairway.

He does well to hack out though and can go at the green with his third shot.

The tee shot at the par-five third, out towards Berwick Law, requires a gentle fade.

However, Viktor Hovland gets his drive all wrong and goes way left.

And Rory McIlroy goes the other way - miles right. He's got a big grimace on his face, it's not pretty out there.

He hits a provisional, which is also sprayed right, but this one is definitely findable.

Xander Schauffele misses the fairway too, but is in the first cut - that's fine.

Image source, Getty Images

Tommy lad.

Another birdie and he moves to four under. That's five birdies in his past eight holes.

JJ Spaun and Connor Syme tidy up for their respective pars.

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Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland do well to scramble and make par around the second green, but no such success for Xander Schauffele.

He escapes a nasty lie in the greenside bunker, but can't hole his putt and drops back to five under.

Tommy Fleetwood lands the ball pin high on the left side of the flag. A bona fide golf clap follows for such a well-struck second in the first green.

Contrastingly, Connor Syme makes a bit of a meal of it, which is unlike him today, as he sends it too far left.

JJ Spaun's approach from the fairway is an attractive one too, but it comes after he played out sideways from a deep bunker.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

Another very good birdie look for Chris Gotterup on 11, but he knows as soon as it leaves the putter it's never getting there.

Fellow American Tom Hoge capitalises on a super approach shot to gain a shot and move to one over.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

Rory whips the cover off his driver, that lucky dog’s head that he’s used for years.

He’s quick to plant his tee in the ground. Takes 10, maybe 20 seconds, to compose himself, and lets rip.

“Awww, Rory!” the crowd coos in unison. It’s like they’ve driven it themselves, maybe even better. The unbridled satisfaction at watching someone do something perfectly.

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There are 78 yards between Rory McIlroy's tee shot and Xander Schaffele's at the second hole, with the Northern Irishman well in front.

McIlroy is in the fairway, while Schauffele will have to hack out from the long grass.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

Has to make this for par, Rory McIlroy. It’s some escape and the crowd roars.

As soon as it drops, we head over to the tee box of the second.

Poor Viktor, poor Xander. Big names in their own right, who would normally draw a crowd themselves, but one suspects it's their playing partner drawing the vast majority of the attention today.

Tommy Fleetwood is motoring.

A birdie on the testing 18th, and he drops to three under for the tournament after a lovely approach into the green. Superb stuff.

JJ Spaun and Connor Syme tidy up for a par apeice.

Magnificent stuff from Holywood's finest.

Rory McIlroy holes a 14ft putt to save his par and keep his card blemish-free.

Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele cannot take their birdie chances.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

Chris Gotterup goes two clear!

A birdie on the par-five 10th continues the 25-year-old's momentum.

Must confess I didn't know much about the American until today.

Turns out he's in his second season on the PGA Tour and marked his debut year with victory at the Myrtle Beach Classic in 2024.

Fun fact: Gotterup is an avid lacrosse player and credits that sport for helping to develop his golf swing.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

Some of us wouldn’t get out of that bunker first time.

Yet Rory manages, with remarkably little fuss. All the more spectacular as a spectator’s phone pinged mid back-swing.

"I told you to turn that off!" a man snarls at his wife. Trouble in paradise - but not for Rory.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

"I feel like we’re on a hunt," says an American spectator behind me, as we stomp down towards the fairway bunker that McIlroy has landed straight in.

There’s at least a thousand spectators following just Rory, all desperate to try and capture some of that magic that he casts with a swing of his club.

He’ll need something special from here, though.