Murphy joint leader after opening 64

IRELAND'S Gary Murphy, Scot Alastair Forsyth and Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who all carded rounds of 64, six under par, are the joint leaders in the £715,000 Dutch Open, with Swede Fredrik Widmark and English duo David Lynn and David Carter a shot behind.

But Zimbabwe's Tony Johnstone spared everyone the sight of him running naked across the 18th green after an excellent start in his bid to secure his own 25-year streak on the European Tour.

Johnstone has been a popular figure on the circuit since 1980, winning six tournaments, but his exemption from the last of those victories, in Qatar in 2001, runs out at the end of the season. The 47-year-old is currently a lowly 176th on the Order of Merit and needs to climb into the top 115 in the remaining three events to secure his card for next season.