Yellamaraju tied 27th, Theegala tied 72nd at Genesis Scottish Open

North Berwick (Scotland), Jul 10 (PTI) Sudarshan Yellamaraju carded a steady two-under 68 to emerge as the best-placed Indian-origin golfer at tied 27th, while Sahith Theegala battled his way to an even-par 70 to lie tied 72nd after the opening day of the Genesis Scottish Open here. Aaron Rai, the 2026 PGA Championship winner, endured a difficult opening round of one-over 71 to be tied for 99th. Rory McIlroy made an ideal start to his final preparation for next week's Open Championship, firing a five-under 65 to grab a share of the first-round lead. McIlroy was joined at the top of the leaderboard by former champion Bernd Wiesberger (2019), South Korea's Tom Kim, American Patrick Cantlay and Denmark's Rasmus Højgaard, with all five players opening with rounds of 65 in near-perfect scoring conditions. For Yellamaraju, it was another encouraging performance in one of the strongest fields outside the Major championships. The Indo-Canadian mixed four birdies with two bogeys to stay well within striking distance of the leaders. Theegala also has plenty to play for after an even-par start, while Rai, a champion here in 2020, will be looking to draw on his vast links experience and Major-winning confidence to climb the leaderboard over the next three days. Defending champion Chris Gotterup, fresh from his victory at last week's John Deere Classic on the PGA TOUR, stayed in touch with a two-under 68 and was also tied for 26th. Just one stroke behind the leaders at four-under 66 is a strong chasing group featuring five-time Major champion Brooks Koepka, Americans Kurt Kitayama, Andrew Novak and Michael Thorbjornsen, Australia's Min Woo Lee, Spain's Angel Ayora and Finland's Oliver Lindell. Another large group at three-under 67 includes local favourite and 2024 winner Robert MacIntyre, fellow Scot Calum Hill, former Masters champion Danny Willett, Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was among those at two-under 68 after mixing five birdies with two bogeys. Nearly half the 156-player field broke par on an opening day blessed with sunshine and light winds, setting up an intriguing second round. PTI Cor ATK ATK