American Chris Gotterup has taken the golf world by storm, equalling the course record with a scintillating 61 on the second day of the Scottish Open. The world number 158 showcased his skills with nine birdies in a flawless round at the Renaissance Club, setting a formidable clubhouse target of 11 under par.

Amid the sweltering yet favorable conditions in East Lothian, several early starters made significant moves. Rory McIlroy, fresh from finishing his opening round with three consecutive birdies, continued his impressive form by gaining five shots in his first seven holes. However, the Northern Irishman's momentum slowed on the back nine, managing just one more birdie before a missed putt from inside four feet on the eighth hole resulted in his only bogey of the day. McIlroy's round of 65 leaves him at seven under par, firmly in contention for the weekend.

"The conditions were so good for us this morning," McIlroy commented. "It felt like if you didn't play that first nine in three or four under, you were losing strokes to the field. I did a lot of good things today, a couple of loose shots here and there but overall it was a good day. I'm excited for the weekend, right in contention."

Matt Fitzpatrick, who has struggled with form for much of the year, reignited his title hopes with a 63, moving him to eight under par alongside Marco Penge. Harry Hill of England is just two shots off the clubhouse lead after posting a 64.

Meanwhile, US Open champion JJ Spaun is set to miss the cut after a round of 72 left him at two over par. Defending champion Robert MacIntyre, world number one Scottie Scheffler, and overnight co-leader Sepp Straka were among the later starters on Friday.

Gotterup, who was on the verge of breaking 60 after his ninth birdie on the 14th hole, managed four pars to close out his round. "It [59] never really crossed my mind," said the 25-year-old. "I made the putt on 14 and I was like, all right, I've got 16 and obviously 17 and 18 are pretty tough. So I really wanted to get 16. I'm not going to complain too much when I make my birdies on a course that isn't always typically easy."

The Scottish Open continues to deliver thrilling performances, with the leaderboard tightly packed and the promise of an exciting weekend ahead.