Legends notebook: It's a first for tourney leader Overton

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Jeff Overton recorded a 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead over Harrison Frazar, Brian Davis, Marco Dawson and John Merrick after the first round of the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open. It represents the first 18-hole lead of his career.

Overton held a share of the 36-hole lead and then solo possession of the 54-hole at the 2007 Wyndham Championship before finishing runner-up to Brandt Snedeker by two strokes.

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In two previous appearances, Overton has had mixed success at Montreux Golf and Country Club. In 2006, he tied for 15th, but missed the cut a year ago. Overton's 65 on Thursday established his 18-hole best at the event. He had three 69s (first, third and fourth rounds) in 2006.

• As the 2008 regular season winds down, this week is especially important for several players who find themselves on the bubble to be one of the 144 players who will advance to the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Among the top five players on the leaderboard, John Merrick holds the strongest position in the 67th spot, followed by Brian Davis (No. 107), tournament-leader Jeff Overton (No. 135), Marco Dawson (No. 146) and Harrison Frazar (No. 196).

• The first-round leader has gone on to win just seven of 32 stroke-play events on the PGA TOUR in 2008. Despite the relative lack of success by first-round leaders this season, the last two have gone on to win -- including Richard S. Johnson at the U.S. Bank Championship and Chez Reavie at the RBC Canadian Open.

The first-round leader/co-leader in Reno failed to go on to victory in the first six playings (1999-2004) of the event, but that trend has reversed as of late. The last three 18-hole leaders have gone on to win, including Vaughn Taylor in 2005, Will MacKenzie in 2006 and Steve Flesch in 2007.

• This is only Ian Leggatt's fourth TOUR start of 2008, but he's in good shape to make the cut for the fourth time. Leggatt shot an opening-round 4-under 68 to sit in a tie for sixth place. He previously tied for 40th at the AT&T Classic, tied for 74th at the U.S. Open and was 75th last week at the RBC Canadian Open.

• Omar Uresti (68) recorded the eighth hole-in-one in tournament history when he aced the 16th hole Thursday. There has been at least one hole-in-one at this event since 2004, highlighted by Yusaku Miyazato's two aces in the same round in 2006, at No. 7 and No. 12 in the second round. The hole-in-one was the second of Uresti's TOUR career. He also recorded an ace at the 1997 Bell Canadian Open. There have been 19 aces on TOUR this season.

• Harrison Frazar, who opened with a 5-under 67, is making his ninth start (and seventh consecutive) in Reno. His best finish was a fifth-place effort in 2003.

• Dick Mast, who turned 57 in March and is a Champions Tour regular, overcame double bogeys on Nos. 7 and 16 (both par-3s) to shoot an opening-round 3-under 69 and is in position to make his first TOUR cut since the 2005 Sony Open in Hawaii, when he tied for 47th.

This season, Mast has played five Champions Tour events, with his best finish a tie for 32nd at the Turtle Bay Championship. Mast has only had one under-par round this year -- a 67 in the final round of The Cap Cana Championship in the Dominican Republic.

Mast, who is making his first start in Reno, has a combined 562 career starts in PGA TOUR-sponsored events (332 PGA TOUR, 125 Champions Tour, 105 Nationwide Tour). The oldest player to win a TOUR event was Sam Snead (52 years, 10 months, 8 days) at the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open.

There are four players in their 50s playing this week. Mast led the way, shooting a first-round 69. He is tied for 19th place.

Dan Forsman, 50, made his Champions Tour debut two weeks ago at the 3M Championship and is back on TOUR this week, recording an even-par 72 and is tied for 54th place.

Kenny Knox, who turns 52 in two weeks, shot a 3-over 75 and is tied for 96th place. Larry Mize, who turns 50 on Sept. 23, is tied for sixth place after opening with a 4-under 68.

Lance Ten Broeck, 52, who regularly caddies for Jesper Parnevik, struggled to an 88 in his first PGA TOUR appearance as a player in 10 years.

• Two past champions of the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open are participating this week -- 1999 champion Notah Begay III and 2003 winner Kirk Triplett. They opened with rounds of 69 and 71, respectively.

• The opening-round scoring average at the par-72 Montreux Golf & Country Club was 72.674. The par-4 14th hole played the hardest at 4.348, while the par-5 fourth hole was the easiest at 4.712.