A beauty from Bob MacIntyre!

From 238 yards out, the leftie peels off a wonderful shot that finishes just four feet from the flag.

He's got that for eagle...

Aberg moves to four under after a smart birdie on his 11th hole of the day.

Collin Morikawa finds a par, but Martin Couvra double-bogeys after a poor tee shot and approach left him struggling.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

A peach of a drive on four gives Calum Hill the chance to attack the pin from prime position.

He'll be disappointed with his approach but a solid two-putt from distance keeps him ticking along nicely at four under.

Padraig Harrington remains a shot further back while a second bogey in three holes drops Corey Connors to level par.

Scottie Scheffler pauses before his second shot on the third, puts his arms above his head and has a big old side stretch. He doesn't look that comfortable.

Back at the 17th, it took him a while to reach down and pluck his ball out of the hole. Is there something bothering him? A little stiffness perhaps?

Jake Knapp had briefly made it a five-way tie at the top of four under, but not for long.

Colombia's Nicolas Echavarria is now your outright leader on five under after a birdie on the par-four 15th.

Image source, Getty Images

Callum Hill remains tied for the lead on four under. Tremendous stuff.

Richie Ramsay and Bob MacIntyre are both one under and going well, Ramsay is through 15, Bob through 11.

Ewen Ferguson, Grant Forrest, and Connor Syme will all be having some light lunch just now as they get ready to tee off in the afternoon wave.

Image source, Getty Images

We have another name at the top of the leaderboard, as 2023 US Open winner Wyndham Clark enters the fray.

He's just ahead of our featured group, and he's birdied hole number three - the long par five. It's the second-easiest hole on the course, apparently.

Further ahead, Colombian Nico Echavarria birdies the short par three after nailing his tee shot to within five feet.

It's heating up nicely, and I'm not just talking about the weather.

As well as the fine golf being played, the setting isn't half bad either.

The Renaissance Club and indeed the East Lothian coastline look magnificent.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

I have a sneaking suspicion that these fine folks might be following Ludvig Aberg around this morning.

Fellow Swede Henrik Norlander is going well so far, mind you, at two under, T-17.

Simon Forsstrom and Alex Noren are out in the afternoon wave for them to cheer on.

Image source, Getty Images

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

Co-leader Sepp Straka's wedge game is on point.

The European Ryder Cup star recovers from am errant drive on the second - his 11th hole - by knocking a chip within four feet and tidying up for a fourth successive par.

Ludvig Aberg has a look at birdie but settles for par, Collin Morikawa follows him in for a four.

Martin Couvra falters after his errant tee shot and drops to even through 10 for the morning.

Group 21 head down down the first, with Bob MacIntyre and Adam Scott both finding the rough on the left of the fairway, with a big old tree sat plum between their balls and the green.

MacIntyre goes off the back, Scott goes to the right, while Scottie Scheffler puts his second, from the middle of the fairway, to within 10 feet.

MacIntyre and Scott both save par with putts that are a little hard, while Scheffler leaves his short to pass up the birdie chance.

A mix of tee shots as they make the turn on the first hole. Two-tee start times, remember.

Ludvig Aberg and Collin Morikawa are 200 yards or so from the pin, with the former's trickling into the rough.

Martin Couvra appears to have sent it some 50 yards further, but it is in the rough up the left-hand side.

American Jake Knapp confidently rolls in an eight foot putt at the par-five 10th to join Calum Hill and Sepp Straka on four under.

The 10th is playing as the easiest hole on the course, with an average score of 4.51.

Image source, Getty Images

A pair of steady second shots from Ludvig Aberg and Collin Morikawa drop on the front edge of the green. Martin Couvra hooks it a tad left and is left scrambling.

They all walk off the 18th with a par. It's currently playing as the toughest hole so far today.

Image source, SNS

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

The defending champ saunters up to the 18th green to warm applause from the heaving galleries.

Bob MacIntyre's long birdie putt on this very surface secured the title last year.

This time he has a great look at birdie from 8ft. Can he nail it to move into the red at the turn? Yes he can!

Scottie Scheffler two-putts for par but Adam Scott drops a shot after failing to get up and down from the right-hand bunker.

Collin Morikawa opts against driver and lands it well short of where others have been landing it. He has found the fairway, mind you, despite having 230 yards left.

Perhaps this is why... Martin Couvra pushes his drive into the thick stuff up the right-hand side.

Ludvig Aberg drills is 290 yards down the middle. Naturally.

Another birdie for Ludvig Aberg as he nudges in his short putt.

Martin Couvra and Collin Morikawa both walk off with a par.

Aberg joins a group of 11 players on three under so far for the day, just one off the leaders.

Martin Watt
BBC Sport Scotland at the Renaissance Club

Joint leader Sepp Straka has work to do from left of the 18th green.

The Austrian doesn't have a huge amount of green to work with but floats a lovely wedge to a couple of feet or so and tidies up for par.

Playing partner Laurie Canter takes two to escape a greenside bunker and eventually walks off with a double-bogey six to fall to -2 alongside Justin Thomas, who rounds off his front nine with par.

The 208-yard par-three 17th next. So far today, this hole is playing to its par, so there's no shame not making a birdie here.

Ludvig Aberg is enjoying himself right now and sticks it to four feet away. Maybe he can move to three under here.

His playing partners, Martin Couvra and Collin Morikawa, find the green but aren't as close and will be happy with a two-putt from there.