Greg Edwards played the last four holes in 6-under-par, including consecutive eagles on the 16th and 17th holes, in shooting a 63 that gave him a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the $1.35 million Utah Showdown.

After a birdie at No. 15, Edwards holed out a wedge from 122 yards for an eagle on the par-4 hole. On the par-5 17th, he put a 4-iron second shot 20 feet away from the pin and sank the putt. A birdie at 18 completed a back-nine 31 over the 7,167-yard Park Meadows Country Club course.

It was the sixth time in Senior PGA Tour history that a player eagled consecutive holes. Edwards' 63 matched the course record set by Dave Stockton in 1993 and matched by Ben Smith in 1995.

"This is all very new," said Edwards, 50, who made his first senior start last week in Minnesota. "It would be nice if this was the last round."

Steve Veriato shot an 8-under-par 64 that stood as Friday's best round for about seven hours, until Edwards came back following two weather delays to wrest the lead away.

Veriato shot a 63 on Monday to get into the tournament. Edwards got in with a 66.

Edwards, a one-time junior college football player from Visalia, Calif., and Veriato, a Hawaiian-born Texan, led a group at 65 that featured defending champion Gil Morgan, Leonard Thompson, John Jacobs and former Showdown winner Tom Shaw.

"You guys expect the Hale Irwins and the Jim Colberts, guys like that, to win," Veriato said after his round. "You guys just go ahead and expect that. That's all I am going to say."

At 6-under were Dave Eichelberger, and Terry Dill, followed at 67 from Alberto Giannone, Fred Gibson, Joe Inman, Hale Irwin, Dave Stockton and Simon Hobday.

Veriato, whose best finish this year was 29th in the U.S. Senior Open, had three birdies on the front nine and five on the back during a bogey-free round.

Jacobs shot a front-nine 31 but lost momentum when lightning caused a stoppage of play.

"I came back out on the 13th hole and my tempo wasn't there," Jacobs said. "Of course, anything can happen here. A player can be behind five or six shots on Sunday and still make a run at it."

After a bogey on the par-5 15th, Jacobs managed to pull his game together for the final three holes, making birdie putts of 30, 10 and 6 feet.

The threesome of Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer drew a gallery of over 20,000, but shot a combined 11-over-par. Trevino shot 74, Nicklaus 75 and Palmer 78.

AP