Notebook: Round 1, Valero Texas Open

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• Despite a double-bogey six at the first hole, Australia's Matt Jones rallied with six birdies and an eagle to get in the clubhouse with a 6-under 66. He holds a two-stroke lead over Charley Hoffman. It marks his sixth round in the 60s in this event (through a total of nine rounds).

His 66 marks his lowest opening round since firing the same number in round one of the 2008 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

• Matt Jones has previously competed in the Valero Texas Open in 2008 and 2009, where he finished T64 and T32, respectively. His lowest round in this event is a 6-under 64 in Round 2 in 2008.

• Matt Jones earned a return to the PGA TOUR in 2010 by virtue of a third-place finish at the 2009 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament.

• Matt Jones is making his 13th start this week in 2010, highlighted by four top-10 finishes. In his last two starts prior to this week, he finished T10 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and T7 at the Quail Hollow Championship.

• Matt Jones' strongest statistical ranking is in the area of eagles, where he sits at 15th best on TOUR. Jones was one of just four players to card an eagle in the morning. The only eagle on a par-four belonged to Phil Tataurangi, who holed a wedge from 97 yards at the short 342-yard fifth.

• This marks the first time Matt Jones has ever lead after the opening round.

• The first-round leader has gone on to win three of 19 times this year on TOUR. Ryan Palmer led wire-to-wire at the Sony Open in Hawaii, followed by Dustin Johnson at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Jason Bohn led from beginning to end.

• Since 1970, the first round leader of the Valero Texas Open has gone on to win just five times. They include Justin Leonard (2000), Bob Estes (1994), Ben Crenshaw (1986, 1973) and Jay Haas (1982).

• Playing out of the Past Champion category, Paul Stankowski fired a 5-under 67 in Round 1, one stroke shy of his low round of the year. He trails Matt Jones' lead by one with Charley Hoffman

• Paul Stankowski is making his fourth start on the PGA TOUR in 2010 this week, with a best finish being a T12 at the Puerto Rico Open. On the Nationwide Tour, Stankowski has made four starts with a best finish being a T16 at the Panama Claro Championship.

• Dating back to 1994, Paul Stankowski is making his 10th Valero Texas Open start this week. Of the previous nine, he has made five cuts with a T14 in 1997 being his strongest finish.

• Making his 10th start this week, Charley Hoffman joined Paul Stankowski with an opening-round 4-under 68 to trail Matt Jones by two. Hoffman's best finish of the year came last week at the PLAYERS, where he finished T22.

• Charley Hoffman is making his fifth start at the Valero Texas Open, having posted a pair of top-10 finishes. In his first start here in 2006, he finished T8 and took home T9 honors last year.

• Playing in his first Valero Texas Open, J.B. Holmes ended his round with a bang by eagling the 591-yard 18th hole to get to 4-under. Following a 326-yard drive, he laced his second shot from 261 to seven feet.

• Through 11 starts this year, J.B. Holmes has missed just one cut (Quail Hollow Championship). His year got off to a strong start with top-five finishes in two of his first three events, the Northern Trust Open (T3) and AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (T2).

• Steve Lowery and Matt Weibring also shot 4-under 68s in Round 1.

• James Driscoll, who lost in a playoff to Zach Johnson in last year's Valero Texas Open, opened strong with a 2-under 70 in round one. His best finish of the season thus far is a T14 at the Shell Houston Open.

• 2009 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Marc Leishman opened with a 2-under 70 in Round 1. Leishman opened with a 6-under 64 in Round 1 last year before finishing T5, his first of three top-10s in 2009.

• Through the first 20 events this season, only two 2009 winners have managed to successfully defend their titles. Geoff Ogilvy managed the feat at the season-opening SBS Championship, as did Dustin Johnson at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

• There are 27 first-time Valero Texas Open players in this week's field. Some of the more notables include Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Todd Hamilton and Vijay Singh.

• 2010 rookies in the field include Blake Adams, Graham DeLaet, Brent Delahoussaye, Martin Flores, Troy Merritt, Garth Mulroy, Cameron Percy, Jeev Milka Singh, Brian Stuard, Josh Teater, Derek Tolan, Cameron Tringale and Jerod Turner.

• Past winners of the Valero Texas Open in this week's field include Zach Johnson (2008, 2009), Justin Leonard (2000, 2001, 2007), Robert Gamez (2005), Tim Herron (2005) and Bob Estes (1994).

• Two-time defending champion Zach Johnson in round one with an 8-over 80.

• John Little, the National Armed Forces amateur champion who received a sponsor's invitation, opened with a 10-over 82.

Round 1's scoring average ranks as the second highest of any round thus far on TOUR in 2010, second only to round two of the Masters (74.484).

• Will MacKenzie withdrew after his first round with a back injury.