Rory McIlroy draws a horrible lie in a fairway bunker after he pushes his drive way right.

He hammers it straight into the lip and is then forced to chip out into the fairway with his third shot.

The Northern Irishman looks so frustrated with himself - after so much hard work, he'll do well to make bogey.

Tommy Fleetwood's tee shot is a little miscalculated and lands short.

No such trouble for Connor Syme, though, who threatens to drop it in the cup in one, but it pulls up a few feet short.

JJ Spaun rounds off the group's tee shots, finding the back of the green and catching the slope at pace.

Ach, Connor Syme pushes a routine putt past the cup. That should have been a birdie.

Tommy Fleetwood and JJ Spaun tidy up for par, the latter also had a decent look at birdie.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but that's pars all round in this group.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

Harry Hall sends his chip from the front fringe of the 17th green way past the hole - but it's all part of the plan.

The Englishman makes canny use of the backstop as the ball rolls back down towards the pin.

Par looks a formality, only for gasps to ring out as he pushes his putt past and drops to three under.

Viktor Hovland has played excellent golf today and moves to four under after a stunning iron shot at the par-three 14th.

Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele also found the putting surface, but can't convert and settle for par.

Another name to look out for is Matti Schmid.

The German shot a bogey-free 65 and has just finished to put himself tied fifth on the leaderboard.

Beautiful conditions today, so plenty of low scores, but the 27-year-old has put himself into contention alongside countryman Marcel Siem.

Par. Par. Par.

This group walk off the twelfth green all carding a par of three.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

This group have struggled to get anything going today.

Dan Brown - winner of the BMW Open last week - and Andrew Novak are both within 10 feet of the hole on the par-three 17th, but neither can capitalise and have to settle for par. Sums up their day really.

Victor Perez joins the clubhouse leaders, carding a six-under 64.

The Frenchman will feel at home this week, as he calls Edinburgh home, having moved there from Dundee a couple of years ago.

Oh, and he's known to practice at The Renaissance Club. The definition of local knowledge.

A birdie chance goes begging for Viktor Hovland as he leaves his putt short and Xander Schauffele can't convert either.

Rory McIlroy makes it three pars for the group.

Defending champion Bob MacIntyre is delighted with the conditions at the Renaissance Club, despite calling them "carnage".

"This is the best conditions, the firmest and fastest it's been," he told the media. "When you miss the fairway, it is carnage. It makes it play proper links-y, a proper test.

"We had a good spell of weather a month ago, which dried it out. I far prefer it when the rough is the way it is. Links golf doesn't need thick rough, it needs wispy rough."

While playing partner Scottie Scheffler finished one ahead of MacIntyre on three under, the Scot was still happy with his day's play.

"It was a good round of golf. Difficult, poor start. To walk off two under, sneaking the birdie on eight, overall a good day.

"It's just a start. You can't win it on the first day, but you can play yourself out. That round today, I've played myself in."

Image source, Getty Images

JJ Spaun's approach in the green on 11 hits the wrong side of the slope and shoots off behind one of the dry stone walls next to the putting surface. He manages to make a par, which is very well done.

Tommy Fleetwood chased his approach low towards the green and saved par with a well-played third and fourth.

Scotland's Connor Syme similarly made a four.

It's currently playing as the toughest hole on the course, the 11th, incidentally.

Three simple enough pars for Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland at the par-three 12th.

Sepp Staka admitted he had "very low expectations" of his own chances at the Scottish Open, before sharing the clubhouse lead in the opening round.

The Austrian was in great form coming into the tournament, but past efforts at Renaissance meant he wasn't getting his hopes up.

"Very low [expectations], given the history I've had here," he laughed. "I haven't played this course very well. Last year I hit some pretty good shots but didn't make any putts.

"My game has been in pretty good shape, I was in good shape coming here. The low expectations were just from not having performed at this course. It's been really nice to have a consistent, fun year."

"I haven't had anything close to that in the four rounds I've played here. Pretty excited about it.

"The applause sounds different over here. It's always special."

Image source, Getty Images

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has just put his tee shot on 14 under a bench. Yep, it's waaay left.

Once the bench and spectators are moved out the way, Donald's downhill chip leaves an 18-footer for par that misses by a smidgeon.

Fellow Englishman Harry Hall, sporting his trademark natty bunnet, can't bag a third birdie in five holes but stays three under

Image source, Getty Images

Agonising for Rory McIlroy, whose birdie putt at 11 somehow doesn't drop.

The Northern Irishman hasn't had his best stuff today, but is fighting hard.

Viktor Hovland also makes par, but Xander Schauffele is punished for an errant tee shot - he walks away with a bogey five.

Birdie for JJ Spaun as he looks to claw back some ground on the leading pack, some smart scrambling with his third help him on the par-five tenth.

No such luck for Tommy Fleetwood or Connor Syme, who have to make do with a pair of pars.

The 10th is playing as the second-easiest hole on the course today, so they'll be a bit annoyed to leave a shot or two out there.

Fleetwood had his work cut out to save par, in fairness.

Thoughts on Tommy Fleetwood's cardigan, readers?

You don't get much knitwear on the course these days...

Image source, Getty Images

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

How would you fancy your chances from here?

Ewen Ferguson, having overcooked his tee shot to the par-three 12th, recovers with aplomb.

A perfect flop shot over the wall leaves a tap-in par.

It's not just the golfers who have been out on the course this week. Yesterday was the pro-am and there were a few famous faces.

The most notable was probably former Real Madrid forward Raul, whose son is a caddie.

He was pictured with former Celtic man Scott Brown and former Rangers full-back Steven Whittaker - now manager and assistant manager at Ayr United, respectively.

Whittaker even managed to eagle the tenth. Fair play.

Image source, SNS