Given his poor Scottish Open record, and missing the cut last year, Straka admits he arrived with “very low expectations” despite fine recent form.
A razor-sharp short game helped him shine this time in sun-baked East Lothian.
Starting on the par-five 10th, Straka got the ball rolling with back-to-back birdies and was four under at the turn.
Three birdies in a row followed from the third to give the European Ryder Cup star the outright lead before before he immediately wobbled with successive bogeys.
The response was magnificent, though, as he chipped in from left of the eighth green to complete a fine day’s work.
“The game’s been in really good shape coming into here,” Straka said. “The low expectations come from just not having performed at this course.
“My short game was really nice. I chipped it really well, made some putts and I hit the ball okay. Driver was a little bit squirrely but short game saved me today.”
Scheffler opened with an eagle on the 10th and picked up a further two strokes, but an untidy finish featured bogeys on four and six.
“I wish I would have played a little bit better after that [eagle],” said the American. “But overall, I felt like I did some good things out there and hung in there nicely and put up a decent score.”
MacIntyre battled a “cold putter” during a mixed opening round that included four birdies and two bogeys, while Hill upstaged his compatriot to join Germany’s Marcel Siem on five under.
