Golf - KLM Open Update:It has been a great opening day for the Irish contingent a the KLM Open in the Netherlands with Paul McGinley sharing the lead on six-under, while defending champion Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie and Shane Lowry were all inside the top 1.

McGinley, who was runner-up to Clarke 12 months ago, started exactly as he finished last year, with a six-under-par 64 to share the early lead alongside Scotland’s Gary Orr and Australia’s Wade Ormsby.

It could have been even better for McGinley as he was seven under after 12 holes and three clear of the field.

Without a win since the 2005 Volvo Masters, the 42-year-old Dubliner has fallen outside the world’s top 200 and is a lowly 130th on the European Tour money list.

But he turned in four-under 30 after four successive birdies from the 12th, eagled the 570-yard second and birdied the next before dropping his only stroke of the day at the short eighth.

“The game is moving very much into a power game, so it’s refreshing to play an old-fashioned type of course,” said McGinley.

“My season’s been flat. I’ve not played well enough - no excuses - and I need to do better.”

Orr, also 42, is seeking his first victory for nine years and a five-iron to four feet for eagle on the 12th was the highlight of his bogey-free round.

Clarke, without a top-10 since his victory last year, is joint third alongside Lawrie after the Irish pair shot opening 65s. Clarke’s card contained seven birdies and two bogeys, while Lawrie had just one dropped shot at the first and six birdies.

“I played nicely apart from a couple of stupid schoolboy errors,” said Clarke after his round. “I was plugged in a bunker on the 17th and then went in a bush on the seventh (a reachable par five) and had to take a penalty drop.”

It was a welcome sub-par round for Irish Open champion Lowry, who shot an opening four under 66. His front nine of 32 contained four birdies and no dropped shots while he missed two birdies with as many bogeys on the inward half.

Damien McGrane and Gary Murphy are a further shot back after shooting 67s, but Michael Hoey slumped to a 79.

Jonathan Caldwell was the only other Irish player over par as he started with a one over 71.

Double Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, playing with Clarke, was two under with one to play, but carved his final drive into the trees and double-bogeyed.