Bob MacIntyre shines at RBC Canadian Open after run of birdies as Nelly Korda has surprise round at US Open

Bob MacIntyre sits two shots off the lead at the RBC Canadian Open after shooting a 64 in his opening round.

The World No 76 from Scotland produced a scintillating back nine at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, shooting six birdies to sit on -6 for the day. It leaves MacIntyre handily placed going into Friday’s play, with the Oban native set to tee off at 1.24pm BST. England’s David Skinns leads the way on -8 under after his first-round 62, with American duo Sam Burns and Sean O’Hair tied for second place a further shot back.

Speaking after his round, Skinns said: “Drove it pretty well. I left myself in a lot of good spots. Around here, it seems like that’s half the battle, to give yourself birdie looks. I was able to attack some pins that maybe if I wasn’t in such a good spot, I wouldn’t have been able to.”

Bob MacIntyre's fine back-nine in Hamilton has him two shots off the lead.

Rory McIlroy made a decent early charge as he seeks his third RBC Canadian Open title. The Northern Irishman sunk four birdies on the back nine to head into Friday’s second round tied for sixth place on four under. Marc Laird is the only other Scot in the field, but he faces a battle to make the cut after shooting a 73, sitting +3.

On the DP World Tour, home favourite Jannik De Bruyn finished his round with four birdies as he carded a brilliant 64 to take a four-shot lead after day one of the European Open in Hamburg.

Rain had made the North Course at Green Eagle Golf Courses play even longer than its colossal 7,458 yards, but De Bruyn made a mockery of the notoriously tough test, birdieing six of his first seven holes and those final four en route to a nine under par total. Englishman Laurie Canter and Wales’ Jack Davidson were the nearest challengers, a shot clear of a group containing defending champion Tom McKibbin and another English pair in Dan Bradbury and Garrick Porteous.

David Law was the top-performing Scot in Hamburg, shooting a 71 to sit -2 in 21st place. Compatriots Ewen Ferguson, Calum Hill, Connor Syme and Scott Jamieson are a further shot back, with Grant Forrest on level par.

Nelly Korda struggled in her opening round at the US Open.

At the US Open, Japan’s Yuka Saso leads by one shot following a difficult first round of the US Women’s Open in Philadelphia. Saso was one of just four players to beat par on Thursday, carding a two under 68 at Lancaster Country Club in Philadelphia. She leads by one from the trio of 15-year-old amateur Adela Cernousek, Wichanee Meechai and Andrea Lee, while 10 players carded even par rounds of 70.

Among those who struggled was world number one Nelly Korda, whose bid to maintain her incredible run of form unravelled after just three holes. Korda was a massive favourite to secure her third major title after winning six of her last seven events. But having started with a bogey on the 10th, Korda ran up a septuple-bogey 10 on the par-three 12th after hitting three balls into the water.

Korda’s tee shot found the bunker at the back of the green and her second shot was hit too hard, catching the slope and rolling into the water. From the drop zone Korda found the water twice more before finally hitting her eighth shot on to the green and two-putting from nine feet to slump to eight over par. Korda’s dominant run this season includes her second major victory in the Chevron Championship, but she admitted in her pre-tournament press conference that she was expecting to face a “beast of a course” this week.

Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh is tied 114th after she hit a 77 in her opening round.