Vienna, Austria (My Sportsbook) - Benn Barham fired an eight-under 63 Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Austrian Golf Open at Fontana Golf Club.

Barham, who is seeking his first European Tour win, birdied three of his last four holes to grab the lead. His 63 matched the course record that previously had been posted 11 times.

Brett Rumford and Scott Drummond share second place at minus-seven, while Richard Green was joined at six-under 65 by Phillip Archer, Mark Foster and Jean-Baptiste Gonnet.

Barham got going with a birdie on the second. He drained three consecutive birdie chances from the fourth to move to minus-four.

The Englishman parred his next three before dropping the only shot of his day on the par-four 10th. He got that shot back and more by holing out for eagle on the par-four 13th.

"I couldn't quite see it drop, but the people around the green were shouting and waving so I knew it had gone in," admitted Barham. "This time of year you have no choice, either knuckle down and play well to keep your card or go somewhere else, which I am not thinking about. I've been playing well the last four or five weeks, so this is not a freak round."

Barham stood at minus-five and trailed by two on the 14th tee, but that changed quickly. He birdied No. 15 and followed with a birdie on the par-three 17th to grab a share of the lead.

At the par-five closing hole, Barham carded another birdie to grab the first- round lead for the third time in his European Tour career.

"I'm delighted. It's my lowest round of the season and for the last few seasons, in fact," Barham stated. "It was nice to get a top-20 finish last week, but I needed to bring that form to this week and keep the momentum going, which I've done today."

Rumford opened with a birdie on No. 1. He poured in three consecutive birdies from the fifth. Around the turn, he dropped in back-to-back birdie efforts from the 11th to move to minus-six.

After making three pars in a row, Rumford notched his final birdie on the par- three 16th.

Drummond, who played one group ahead of Barham, did nearly all of his scoring in two quick bursts. After making birdie on the par-four third, he birdied the next three holes to get to minus-four.

Around the turn, Drummond birdied the 10th, but later gave that stroke back with a bogey on No. 14. He came right back with three consecutive birdies from the 15th to grab a share of second at minus-seven.

Pablo Martin headlines a group of players tied for eighth at five-under 66. He stands alongside Alvaro Velasco, Michael Lorenzo-Vera, Chris Gaunt and Callum Macaulay. Soren Hansen and Raphael Jacquelin are among nine players tied for 13th at minus-four.