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SAN ANTONIO (AP) -Matt Jones eagled the par-5 14th hole and finished with a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead Thursday after the first round of the Texas Open.

Jones, the 30-year-old Australian who played at Arizona State, also had four birdies in a back-nine 30 on the Greg Norman-designed Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, the tournament's new site after 15 years at La Cantera.

Paul Stankowski opened with a 67, and J.B. Holmes, Matt Weibring, Charley Hoffman and Steve Lowery had 68s.

Ernie Els, a two-time winner this year, had a 72. He was 3 under on the final five holes, making a tap-in eagle on 14 after a 293-yard second shot.

``Obviously, this golf course is a little bit different than we play week in and week out, and I think to some of the players it's a little bit of a shock,'' Els said. ``Back to even par, but I feel like, you know, it could have been a low score out there. The wind dropped for us.''

Els' playing partner, Vijay Singh, left several putts just short, but finished with a birdie for a 73. Zach Johnson, the two-time defending champion, made a 7 on the par-3 13th and ended up with an 8-over 80.

Jones rebounded after making a double bogey on the first hole.

``A double wasn't the start we wanted, but the first hole is not an easy starting tee shot there at all,'' Jones said. ``It's very narrow.

``After that, it was just a battle to get back to even par on the front nine, and then I made about a 30-footer for par on 11, which kind of kept me going. And from there on, we had six birdies and an eagle.''

Jones hit a 3-wood approach from 276 yards to 8 feet on No. 14.

He birdied three of the four par 3s.

``With these greens, if you miss a tee shot you're working hard to par or birdie,'' Jones said. ``If you miss a second shot, it's tough out of the bunkers and runoffs they have on the greens. These par 3s aren't easy. To have three birdies on par-3s is quite good.''

Jones, whose best finish this season is a tie for seventh two weeks ago at Quail Hollow, teed off among the morning groups before the temperature on a humid, windy day climbed into the mid-80s.

Stankowski birdied five of his final 15 holes

``This would rival one of the most solid rounds I've played in years,'' Stankowski said. ``I know in the wind, you have one option - to go ahead and hit solid shots, and I did that today. This was a good day, and this is really how I would love to draw them every round.''