Four-way tie sets up thrilling start at Genesis Scottish Open
Straka, Perez, Knapp and Echavarria share lead as Closing Swing begins at Renaissance Club
Las Vegas - Veteran Ryder Cup star Sepp Straka and Rolex Series champion Victor Perez headline a four-way tie for the lead after a blustery first round at the Genesis Scottish Open in North Berwick.
The Renaissance Club served up a classic links test as Colombian Nico Echavarria set the early mark at six under par, later matched by American Jake Knapp, Austria’s Straka, and France’s Perez. The quartet enjoy a slender one-shot advantage on a crowded leaderboard, with 28 players within three shots after day one of the $9 million Rolex Series event.
Straka said: “Short game, I would say. My iron play was pretty good. Driver not so much but the chipping was really nice, and I also made a lot of putts. Any time those two are working, the scores usually are going to be pretty good.”
Behind the leading pack, Scotland’s Calum Hill carries home hopes at five under, tied with Germany’s Marcel Siem and Matti Schmid, and England’s Marco Penge. Major champions Viktor Hovland, Tom Kim, Wyndham Clark and defending champion Robert MacIntyre remain well-placed after opening rounds of 68.
The Opening Swing’s first tournament promises a wide-open weekend, with defending champions and Ryder Cup veterans lurking just a few shots back as the wind and drama of Scottish links golf take centre stage once again.