Austin, TX (My Sportsbook) - Three-time major champion Nick Price fired a seven-under 65 on Friday to take the first-round lead at the FedEx Kinko's Classic.

Mark O'Meara was one shot back at six-under 66, while defending champion Scott Hoch was tied with Fred Funk, D.A. Weibring, Denis Watson and Tom McKnight at five-under 67.

Overall, there were 23 players within five shots of Price after 18 holes at The Hills Country Club.

Price, whose 18 PGA Tour victories included wins at the 1994 British Open and the '92 and '94 PGA Championships, opened with eight birdies and a bogey in the first round.

The 51-year-old South African birdied five of his last six holes to take the lead, his first first-round lead on the Champions Tour.

He made four straight birdies from the 13th hole, then capped off his best round of the season with a 26-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole.

Price, who was 6-9 when holding the first-round lead on the PGA Tour, hasn't won since the 2002 Colonial. And he needs to buck history to finish on top this weekend.

In the five previous years of this tournament, only one 18-hole leader has gone on to win -- Jay Haas in 2006.

But Price does have some history on his side, having claimed four titles in Texas while playing on the PGA Tour.

Meanwhile, the man closest to him on the leaderboard -- the 51-year-old O'Meara -- also collected a Texas victory in San Antonio in 1990.

O'Meara had four birdies and an eagle at the par-five 18th on Friday to polish off a spotless round.

The 16-time PGA Tour champion, who won the Masters and British Open in 1998, is also seeking his first Champions Tour win.

Watson had back-to-back eagles on the front nine Friday, holing a nine-iron from 148 yards at the par-four seventh and knocking a two-iron to just a couple of feet with his second shot at the par-five eighth.

Hoch's five-under 67 was the best start by a defending champion in tournament history, beating Haas' 71 last year.