The first round of the 2025 Scottish Open saw a brisk wind along the coastline of North Berwick, Scotland, producing challenging conditions for the players. The Renaissance Club hosted top golfers, with a scoring average around par as they prepared for the last tournament before the final major of the season.
At the top of the leaderboard after skillfully navigating the par 70 course is a quartet comprising Sepp Straka, Jake Knapp, Nico Echavarria, and Victor Perez. All four commenced their campaign with impressive scores of 64, placing them at 6 under par. Notably, Straka is chasing to become the third three-time winner of this season, following Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.
“It’s a little bit unpredictable and it puts you in spots where you may feel uncomfortable, which makes it fun to try different shots,” commented Straka.
All players performed exceptionally on Thursday, especially Perez, who was the only one to tie for the lead after the afternoon session. Close behind are Scheffler, Ludvig Åberg, and Viktor Hovland, each eager to ascend the leaderboard.
Scheffler opened his round impressively with a long eagle putt and finished with three birdies and two bogeys.
The Leaders
T1. Sepp Straka, Jake Knapp, Nico Echavarria, Victor Perez (-6): Straka displayed outstanding short game skills, making significant gains with his chipping as he approached holes three through eight with four additional birdies.
“I think I’s just a lot of fun making those shots,” tweeted Straka after his round.
Contenders
T5. Matti Schmid, Marcel Siem, Calum Hill, Marco Penge (-5)
T9. Keith Mitchell, Wyndham Clark, Ryan Fox, Viktor Hovland, Tom Kim (-4)
T14. Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Åberg, Maverick McNealy, Sam Burns and 15 others (-3)
Quotes from the Course
Scheffler expressed, “I feel like I could have done a bit more today, but overall, I am satisfied.”
The scene at the Scottish Open is shaping up for an exciting follow-up round with strong competitors emerging and conditions promising to create great opportunities.
