Australians Jason Scrivener and Min Woo Lee have made brilliant starts at the European Tour’s English Championship.

European Tour veteran Scrivener and Lee, who won his first tournament in February, both carded opening 64s to be a shot off the lead held by Cormac Sharvin of Northern Ireland at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club.

Scrivener made three consecutive birdies from the seventh to ninth, and shaved the hole with birdie putts at his last two holes as well, describing his round as “stress-free”.

He held the clubhouse lead until he was joined by the 22-year-old Lee, winner of the ISPS Handa Vic Open this year, at 64. The Western Australian star is coming off two missed cuts, but he picked up shots from the eighth through 12th holes to post seven-under.

“I just striped it awesome today,” he said later. “I hit it really good with my irons and my driver and rolled a few in. I think my longest putt was 25 feet, so I was pretty happy with that. It's ‘score-able’ but you've also got to hit your shots. I hit it really awesome and close to the hole so it gave me a lot of opportunities.

“The results weren't there for me (the last two weeks) I missed the cut. I felt pretty down after those two and then you come out here and play really good. That's golf.”

The Australian pair held the lead until Sharvin came in late with a 63 to secure his first-ever 18-hole lead in a European Tour event.

Queenslander Maverick Antcliff also started well with a 66 to be inside the top 20.