Four players share lead after first round of Diners Club Peru Open

Four players share the 18-hole lead after the first round of the Diners Club Peru Open at Los Inkas Golf Club. Chris Korte, Rodolfo Cazaubon, Julián Etulain and Evan Brown carded 6-under 66 and hold a one-stroke lead over nine players at 5-under 67.

This is the first time that Korte, Etulain and Brown have held a share of the lead after 18 holes this season. Cazaubon is making his first start on PGA TOUR Americas.

A native of Littleton, Colorado, Korte has made the cut in all three PGA TOUR Americas events to start the season. Korte registered his best finish at the Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club, where he finished T26. Korte earned exempt membership through the Latin Swing after finishing 11th in the Fortinet Cup season-long standings in 2023 after finishing in the top 25 four times, including a pair of T2 finishes at the Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist and the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open.

After a lucrative collegiate career at the University of North Texas, Cazaubon gained membership on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2014. Cazaubon won three times in 2015 on his way to winning the Order of Merit. The Tampico, Mexico native gained membership through the Latin Swing after finishing in the top 60 on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2023.

Brown turned professional after a collegiate career that saw him star at Loyola University Maryland and Ole Miss. In addition to making six birdies, Brown capitalized and made eagle on Nos. 14 and 16 to secure his best round of the season thus far.

A two-time winner of the Diners Club Peru Open on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica (2013, 2014), Etulain has made the cut in seven of his last eight starts dating back to last season on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica. The Buenos Aires native has registered four top-10s in that span.

All players finished the first round with the final group finishing at 6:01 p.m. CT. Second-round play will start at 7:45 a.m. CT off the No. 1 and 10 tees.

About Chris Korte (T1/-6)

Age: 27
Birthplace: Littleton, Colorado
Residence: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
College: University of Denver
Fortinet Cup (start of week): 50

• Was selected to the All-Summit League first team after his junior season at the University of Denver (2016-17)
• Enjoys music and is an accomplished pianist and guitarist
• Volunteered his time to play the piano at nursing homes when he was in high school
• Says he gets his musical talent from his mother's side of the family. Is a distant relative five generations removed from legendary Czech composer Bedrich Smetana

About Rodolfo Cazaubon (T1/-6)

Age: 34
Birthplace: Tampico, Mexico
Residence: Tampico, Mexico
College: University of North Texas
Fortinet Cup (start of week): N/A

• 2015 Order of Merit winner on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica
• Won the 2015 Roberto De Vicenzo award; which recognized the Player of the Year on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica
• Won four times on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica: Claimed his last win at the 64th ECP Brazil Open in 2017
• Named to Golfweek’s All-America team in 2012-13; Became the first player from North Texas to be named an All-American in 21 years; Became the 13th player in program history to earn All-American honors
• Was an All-Conference selection for four consecutive years (2009-13), becoming only the second player in program history to achieve the feat
• Named the 2009 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year
• His father, Rodolfo, played professional golf for 10 years
• Favorite soccer teams are FC Barcelona and Club América

About Julián Etulain (T1/-6)

Age: 35
Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Residence: Miami, Florida
College: N/A
Fortinet Cup (start of week): 8

• Won four times on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, including twice at the Diners Club Peru Open (2013, 2014)
• played 63 events on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica and registered 9 top-5s and 16 top-10s in addition to his four wins
• Became the 2014 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Order of Merit winner
• Won the 2008 Argentine Amateur Championship
• Finished 3rd at the Bupa Championship at Tulum

About Evan Brown (T1/-6)

Age: 24
Birthplace: Newark, Delaware
Residence: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
College: University of Mississippi
Fortinet Cup (start of week): N/A

• Played at Loyola University Maryland 2017-21: Played in 28 tournaments and recorded a school-record 71.85 stroke average
• Became the first golfer in school or Patriot League history to be named PING All-Region three times during his career
• Named Patriot League Golfer of the Week 11 times
• Ole Miss 2021-22: Received the honor of being named a Srixon/Cleveland GCAA All-American Scholar for the 2021-22 season, becoming the 16th Ole Miss men's golfer to earn the accolade
• Named to the 2021-22 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll
• Played competitive ice hockey while growing up in Pennsylvania
• Collects poker chips from every golf course he has played

Competition Notes

Course Setup: Par 72 / 6,887 yards; R1 average: 71.950
Weather: Cloudy with a high of 73. Wind from the south at 2-7 mph with gusts up to 14 mph.

• Hole 5 – 401-yard par 4 – was the most challenging hole at Los Inkas Golf Club; averaging a +.280. Hole 5 carded 32 bogeys to only 10 birdies on Thursday
• Hole 3 – 509-yard par 5 – was the easiest hole through the first round; averaging a -.620. Players made seven eagles, 84 birdies and six bogeys on hole No. 3
• Chris Crawford made the first hole-in-one in PGA TOUR Americas history on hole No. 4 – the 207-yard par 3
• Rodolfo Cazaubon (T1/-6) is one of three Mexican players in the top-5 after the first round: Jorge Villar and Luis Gerarda Garza are one shot off the lead after carding rounds of 5-under 67