Charl Schwartzel and Alastair Forsyth set the clubhouse target at seven under par during the first round of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.
Forsyth, who with David Drysdale helped Scotland qualify for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup last month, birdied the last three holes to set the target of 65.
That completed a back nine 31, while Schwartzel's four birdies in his last seven holes brought the South African level.
“Once I got going, I was really solid,” said Forsyth. “After maybe four or five holes, I played great all the way in.”
Schwartzel commented: “I thought the seventh hole was a pretty good birdie, got a par four there over 500 yards. I hit a driver and a six iron to six inches. That was pretty special.”
England’s Lee Westwood overcame a wasp sting to maintain his bid for The Race to Dubai.
Westwood opened at Oceânico Victoria Golf Course in sunny Vilamoura with a six under par 66 to be only one behind the early clubhouse leaders.
And The Ryder Cup star's playing partner Colin Montgomerie - 103rd on The Race to Dubai and 255th in the World Rankings - showed signs of a return to form with a 68 - although it could have been even better after also going to the turn in 32.
Westwood was stung on the long 17th, his eighth, and lifted his right trouser leg to reveal a big red mark. "It only hurts when I put my foot down. It's going to be one long hop round the front nine," he said.
However, that did not stop him adding further birdies at the second, fifth and sixth before driving into the rough cost him a bogey on the next.
"I'm lucky I'm not allergic to stings," he added afterwards. "I saw it clinging on while it was stinging me, but I'm a big hard strong lad!"
Westwood is fourth on The Race to Dubai and with a chance to go top this weekend, but current leader Rory McIlroy, one of the later starters, waited only until the second hole for his first birdie.
McIlroy had four successive birdies from the second and with that moved into a tie for 10th place, while Chile's Felipe Aguilar had five birdies in his first seven holes to be joint sixth.
Joining Westwood on six under were Dane Mads Vibe-Hastrup, who needs a good end to the year to retain his European Tour card, and another Englishman, Mark Foster - although the latter still had a hole to play.
Ben Curtis, the former Open Championship winner, is over from the States this week and he matched Montgomerie's 68.
