Rory McIlroy's 66 gives him 1-stroke lead at Scottish Open - ESPN

GULLANE, Scotland — Rory McIlroy felt he had no choice but to be pleased with a 4-under 66 that gave him a 1-shot lead in the Scottish Open on Friday. He also couldn't help but wonder how much lower his score could have been.

McIlroy missed nine putts from 10 feet or closer — eight of those birdie chances — and then holed a 5-foot par on the 18th to take a 1-shot lead over Tyrrell Hatton, Tom Kim and Byeong Hun An at the Renaissance Club.

«I thought I hit the ball really well tee to green,» McIlroy said. «I gave myself tons of birdie putts out there. I didn't make as many as I would like, but I can't be anything but pleased. I'm excited to be in contention going into another weekend.»

McIlroy has never won in Scotland — he's never so much as finished in the top 10 in his seven previous tries as a pro there — and looks to be hitting his stride with the final major next week at the British Open at Royal Liverpool.

He was at 10-under 130.

An, who had a career-low 61 in the opening round, could manage only a 70 in the afternoon when rain that had been little more than a nuisance brought out the umbrellas for good over the final two hours. He missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have tied McIlroy.

«Yesterday compared to this, it was a lot calmer, and today it's a lot windier, and then it rained and it's hard to judge the distance,» An said. «I hit some good shots out there but just not close enough to get a birdie putt. I'm only 1 back, so we'll see in the next two days.»

Hatton had a 62, while Kim had a 65. It was at the Scottish Open a year ago that Kim was runner-up while playing on a sponsor exemption, a result that led to him getting unlimited exemptions and turning one of those into his first PGA