McIlroy and Cantlay are part of a five-way tie for the lead in the Scottish Open

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland (AP) — Rory McIlroy began getting into the mood for the final major of the year by taking advantage of the par 5s at The Renaissance Club for a 5-under 65, giving him a five-way share of the lead Thursday in the Genesis Scottish Open.

Patrick Cantlay made a little noise in an otherwise quiet year for the American with five birdies in 10 holes and then a collection of tough par saves at the end that felt just as valuable. He also was at 65, along with Tom Kim, Bernd Wiesberger and Rasmus Hojgaard.

Hojgaard was the only player of the leading five to play in the afternoon, when the wind began to calm. He was at 6 under with four holes to play but found a bunker off the 16th, went into the rough and took double bogey.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was the top Canadian, solidly in the mix after an opening round of 3 under 67. Conners put himself in contention with three birdies over his last six holes.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., opened at 2 under while Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot an even 70.

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world searching for his first win since January, made three straight birdies around the turn and was slowed by a long three-putt bogey on the 11th, followed by a drive into a bunker that kept him from reaching the green at the par-5 12th. Scheffler failed to birdie any of the three par 5s in his round of 68.

“Wish I could have gotten a few more shots out of it,” Scheffler said. “I like to keep a clean card, so two bogeys hurt. Maybe could have played the par 5s a little bit better. But overall, nothing crazy. Just a decent day.”

McIlroy felt about the same. He was tied for the 18-hole lead for the first time since the Masters, but this didn’t feel like anything special except for seizing on the easiest scoring chances.

McIlroy holed an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-5 first hole — he started his round on No. 10 — to go along with a pair of birdies on the other two par 5s at The Renaissance Club. That made his round and his scorecard feel a little better.

He has been away the last two weeks since a pedestrian performance in the U.S. Open, though the brand of golf doesn’t feel entirely different. Shinnecock Hills might be as close to links golf as any course in America. The Renaissance Club has the look of links, though it is not links turf.

The real test is Royal Birkdale next week for the British Open.

“I felt like I drove the ball particularly well, and I started to see that at Shinnecock, as well,” McIlroy said. “A continuation of putting the ball in play, and then once I do that, I feel like I can attack courses and I can set up scoring opportunities. I did that today.”

Cantlay hasn’t won in nearly four years and slipped to No. 37 in the world after missing the cut in the U.S. Open, his lowest ranking in more than eight years. He’s had three top 10s and four other finishes in the top 20. It hasn’t been horrible, but he has lacked a spark and might have found one.

He went to a slightly heavier putter to account for the slower greens this week and next, and it paid off in birdies and pars. Most impressive was his finish. He found a pot bunker off the tee on the par-5 seventh and could only get that back to the fairway, leaving him 261 yards for his third shot. He wound up getting up-and-down and saving par with a 13-foot putt.

He saved par with a 5-foot putt on the eighth and then got up-and-down from just inside 100 feet off the ninth green to keep a clean card.

“I’ve been putting in some hard work with my team, and have got some important golf the rest of the year,” Cantlay said.

The Scottish Open is co-sanctioned by the European tour and PGA Tour, the ideal place to be for those wanting to get acclimated for the British Open, whether it’s the seaside air, the time zone or a slightly slower set of greens.

It’s also a last chance for the likes of Michael Thorbjornsen, among those at 67. The leading three players not already eligible get a spot at Royal Birkdale. Thorbjornsen is fourth alternate.

Brooks Koepka, who appears to be past that mysterious nerve issue in his left hand that caused him to pull out of the Canadian Open when he was off to a good start, felt that putting is all that has slowed him this year. That much was evident when he missed four putts from 7 feet or under, one of them from 20 inches. He also rolled in three birdie putts from outside 20 feet and was among seven players at 66.

Nearly half of the 156-man field broke par.

“It could have been a very, very good round. But then again, I’m happy with the way I battled back,” Koepka said. “That was solid. So hopefully take that into tomorrow.”

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press