Irishman Paul McGinley ended a dismal run to fire a six-under 64 and share a one-shot first-round lead with Briton Gary Orr at the Dutch Open Thursday. McGinley, runner-up at the event last year but who has slipped to 202 in the world rankings, ran up an eagle and five birdies at the Kennemer links before a late bogey denied him the outright lead. Scot Orr, trying to end a nine-year barren spell, produced a flawless card which included an eagle and four birdies. The pair head four players in second place, last year's winner Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland, Irishman Peter Lawrie, Matthew Millar of Australia and Spanish 23-year-old Jorge Campillo. McGinley, who sank the winning putt in the 2002 Ryder Cup, was pleased to be finding his form just before qualification for next year's edition gets underway. “Normally I play well in a Ryder Cup year and the start to qualification is only two weeks away,” McGinley, who has played in three winning European Cup teams, told reporters. “I needed something to get me going because the first eight months of the year have been pretty flat.” Orr, 42, twice a tour champion but dogged by a back injury for several years, has not won since overcoming eight times European number one Colin Montgomerie to win the 2000 British Masters. “I'll have the back problems for the rest of my life,” Orr told reporters. “But physio and exercise keep me going. Today I felt good and set up a lot of birdie chances.” Deteriorating afternoon weather helped McGinley and Orr stay top of the leaderboard and did not help an out-of-sorts Montgomerie, whose downward spiral continued with a 76. Kennemer's notorious seventh hole took its usual toll, with Dutch amateur Willem Vork running up an eight-over 13 and French professional Anthony Snobeck a 10. By contrast, Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen holed in one at the 11th. Derksen won a car last year in France for an ace and a gold bar two years ago in Hong Kong, but this time earned no prize. The car for a hole in one is on offer at the 17th.
