Rory McIlroy holes a testing eight-foot putt, but that was only for bogey.

Viktor Hovland taps in for a superb birdie, but Xander Schauffele can't match him.

A former winner here of course, but the American three putts from 26ft to make bogey.

There have been plenty of mistakes from this group so far.

Back-to-back birdies for Connor Syme help him find his way under par.

Tommy Fleetwood pars the fourth to remain one under, and it's a par for JJ Spaun too, who is one shot on the right side of even right now.

Image source, SNS

Rory McIlroy's drive at the fifth somehow ended up against a wall to the right of the fairway and has to chip diagonally back into the fairway.

A big effort needed to make par from there.

Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele meanwhile have good looks for birdie.

Make that four birdies in a row as Ewen Ferguson rolls in a long putt to keep his stellar start ticking over nicely.

T-6 now with 2023 US Open champion Wyndham Clark.

Ferguson is the only player in the top seven players to still be out on the course.

Flying the home flag well.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

Scotland's Calum Hill played nicely this morning to shoot a five-under par 65.

I bumped into him on the course a few minutes ago and questioned his decision to wear a base layer on a sweltering day like this.

He assured me it was very thin and that is was cooler earlier on...

Image source, Getty Images

Rory McIlroy, Victor Hovland and Xander Schauffele all make stress-free pars at the fourth hole.

As you were.

Scotland's Ewen Ferguson is enjoying hinself so far at three under through five.

He's birdied the third, fourth, and fifth to shoot up the leaderboard.

Plenty of the home faithful will be following his round intently.

It's all down to those sunglasses surely.

Image source, SNS

A mixed back so far in this group.

Big-hitting Aldrich Potgieter is struggling, with Justin Rose currently over par too. The Englishman just missed a putt to go back to level par.

Ryan Fox is doing better though, and almost sinks a putt to go to two under.

Viktor Hovland has the longest eagle putt, up over a pretty large crease in the green, and it stops a good 10 feet short. His birdie putt drifts past and he settles for a three-putt par.

Easy does it for Xander Schauffele who makes an eagle.

Rory McIlroy tidies up for a birdie and moves back to level par.

Right enough, Xander Schauffele takes advantage of a well-placed tee shot and gives himself a look at eagle.

As does Rory McIlroy. As does Viktor Hovland.

It's almost annoying how easy they can make it look at times.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

Tommy Fleetwood’s birdie putt looks good for a long way, but just drifts wide of the hole and he has to settle for par.

Connor Syme’s par putt was one of those horrible distances and he can’t make it.

Both he and JJ Spaun walk to the third having made bogey.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

Trouble for US Open champion JJ Spaun at the second hole as his approach shot missed the green and finds a nasty little bunker.

He does well to get onto the putting surface but has a long par putt to come.

Scotland’s Connor Syme is in a slightly nicer bunker and sticks his shot to three feet.

Tommy Fleetwood is pin high, with a birdie putt to come…

A stripe show off the tee from this trio.

They could all have a look at eagle is they execute their second shots here.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

It’s seriously warm now in East Lothian, at least it is for a pasty bloke from Yorkshire.

Rory McIlroy’s putter stays cold though as his long birdie effort comes up short.

Xander Schauffele makes a tricky, sloping putt look easy, leaving a simple tap-in for his par, before Victor Hovland goes one better, draining a long birdie effort.

McIlroy holes his testing par putt to settle any nerves.

A purposeful stride for McIlroy as he set off on his mission to win his second Scottish Open title in three years.

All three walk off the first with a par.

A nerve settler.

JJ Spaun's approach shot shows why he is the US Open champ. A sensational second is stuck to roughly eight feet.

Tommy Fleetwood takes the same line, but he can't get any spin on it - he was downwind and not too far away in fairness - and it skites through the green.

Scotland's Connor Syme joins him on the back of the putting surface.

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland at The Renaissance Club

A big mistake from Victor Hovland as the Nowegian clips a tree with his second shot and comes up well short of the green.

He recovers superbly though with a wedge to six inches that he taps in for par.

Xander Schauffele tries to take the low route under said tree, but runs through the back of the green.

The American gets up and down superbly for par, but McIlroy leaves a dreadful putt well short of the hole and subsequently makes bogey.

Nice to see it’s not just hackers like me that three putt.

Scotland's Connor Syme is getting under way.

Alongside him is US Open champion JJ Spaun and England's Tommy Fleetwood, who is teeing it up for the first time since his gut-wrenching loss at the Travelers Championship.

A couple of late dropped shots across this trio, and one of this morning's marquee groups finishes for the day.

All sitting in decent shape ahead of Friday.

Image source, Getty Images