Andrew Johnston two shots off the lead at Trophee Hassan II

Andrew Johnston made an encouraging start to his bid for back-to-back wins as he fired a solid two-under 70 to lie two shots off the lead after the opening round of the Trophee Hassan II.

Johnston, who defied brutal scoring conditions to collect his maiden European Tour title at the Open de Espana last month, returned to action after a two-week break and carded four birdies against two bogeys on the tough Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

Only 32 players in the 138-man field managed to break par on the 7,500-yard layout, with Australian Jason Scrivener setting the early clubhouse target after a 68 before he was joined at the top by Francesco Laporta and Thomas Linard.

Scrivener, who retained his playing rights after a trip to Qualifying School last season, birdied two of the first four holes and made three more in a five-hole stretch after the turn, his only blemish being a bogey at the 13th.

"It was pretty tricky out there this morning, pretty wet and quite cold, so to shoot a 68 in those conditions was very pleasing," Scrivener said. "There are some tricky holes early on, so to birdie two of my first four was just the sort of start I was looking for. After that, I hung in there well and putted nicely, so it was a good day all round."

Italian Laporta staged a fine recovery from bogeys at the second and third as he got back to level par with birdies at the fifth and ninth, and he picked up another shot at 10 before adding an eagle at 12.

A closing birdie capped an inward 33, while Linard played the back nine first and also eagled the 12th, and he hit back from a bogey at 14 with three consecutive birdies. Further gains at the second and fourth took him clear of the field on six under, but he dropped shots at six and nine to relinquish the outright lead.

Tani Goya produced the best finish of the day as he birdied four of the last five holes to card a 69, and the Argentine shares fourth with Adrien Saddier, Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Borja Virto Astudillo and home favourite Younes El Hassani, who has made only one cut in 17 European Tour starts.

Johnston is the stand-out name among a group of eight players on two under, while Alexander Levy - one of only two players in the world's top 100 competing this week - offset five birdies with four bogeys in his erratic 71.

Live European Tour Golf

Meanwhile, on the Blue Course at the same venue, England's Florentyna Parker claimed the first-round lead in the Lalla Meryem Cup after she opened with a five-under 67.

It is the first time the two Tours have played at the same venue in the same week, and Parker's seven-birdie round left her one clear of compatriot Liz Young, Norway's Marianne Skarpnord and Finland's Oona Vartiainen.

Parker suffered an unfortunate mishap during the pre-tournament pro-am on Wednesday when she broke the shaft of her driver as she hitched a ride on a buggy to the first tee, and a replacement arrived just in time for her first round.

"The tour van only had extra-stiff shafts and I play regular," she said. "I got someone else's shaft but it wasn't the right one and then this morning luckily I had one sent from home. I would have had no chance otherwise."

Ladies European Tour Golf

Skarpnord's 68 was 14 shots better than her fiance, Richard Green, managed in the men's event - the Australian veteran failing to make a single birdie as he ended the opening day joint-bottom of the field.