John Keefer cards 65 to lead by three at Bromont Open presented by Desjardins

BROMONT, Québec – John Keefer carded a second-round 5-under 65 to lead by three strokes entering Saturday’s third round of the Bromont Open presented by Desjardins. Fortinet Cup No. 2 and Team Canada member Matthew Anderson is tied for second at 9-under with rookie John Marshall Butler, Jonathan De Los Reyes, David Perkins and Jake Scott. Eleven players are tied for seventh at 8-under.

Keefer holds the 36-hole lead/co-lead for the first time in his career after being the 18-hole leader/co-leader in back-to-back weeks. In his fourth start as a professional, the recent graduate of Baylor University carded his sixth consecutive round in the 60s after combining a 1-under front nine with a 4-under, bogey-free back nine to take an early three-stroke lead.

Keefer’s resume this season includes three top-five finishes in three starts, including back-to-back runner-up finishes at the ATB Classic and Explore NB Open. He tied his career low in Thursday’s first round with a 63, which included a 6-under 29 on his opening nine. Keefer is currently No. 7 in the Fortinet Cup after moving inside the top 10 through the strength of last week’s finish.

The rookie made his professional debut at The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist last month after earning exempt status for the North America Swing via finishing No. 25 in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking. Keefer started the 2023-24 season at No. 47 in PGA TOUR University, and with the help of back-to-back top 10s in his first two events, he catapulted 20 spots up the ranking to No. 27. Although he narrowly remained outside the top 25 all season, he secured the final spot in the ranking through a tied for 11th finish at the NCAA Championship.

Prior to turning professional, Keefer played five collegiate seasons at Baylor University (2019-24). The 23-year-old had a decorated career, as he recorded seven top-three finishes, highlighted by two individual victories (2021 Rice Intercollegiate, 2023 Valero Texas Collegiate). He set the program record for career-stroke average (71.45), lowest round (63) and lowest tournament total (198 at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional). In his collegiate career, Keefer was recognized three times as the Big 12 Men’s Golf Scholar of the Year, won the 2024 Scout McNealy Award, and was named an All-American his freshman and senior season.

Keefer is set to tee off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday with John Marshall Butler and Fortinet Cup No. 2 Matthew Anderson. Third-round tee times begin at 8 a.m. ET and will run until 12:30 p.m. ET in threesomes off the No. 1 tee on Saturday.

About John Keefer (First/12-under)

Age: 23
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland
Residence: San Antonio, Texas
College: Baylor University
Fortinet Cup (start of week): Seventh

• Finished No. 25 in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking and earned exempt membership into the North America Swing of PGA TOUR Americas
• Played five collegiate seasons (2019-24) at Baylor University where he recorded seven top-three finishes, highlighted by his two individual victories (2021/Rice Intercollegiate, 2023/Valero Texas Collegiate)
• Made his professional debut at The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist; recorded three top-five finishes in his first three starts, including back-to-back runners-up (T5/The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist, T2/ATB Classic, second/Explore NB Open)
• Born in Baltimore, Maryland, and moved to San Antonio, Texas, after spending seven years in San Diego; picked up the game of golf at 11 years old after his dad bribed him with lacrosse equipment. Played lacrosse from the age of 4 to senior year of high school
• Only men’s golfer in Big 12 history to be named Scholar Athlete of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2022, 2023); named to the 2023 CSC Academic All-District Team; three-time GCAA All-Region selection and Academic All-Big 12 Honoree (Rookie Team, First Team, First Team)
• As an amateur, was named to the 2018 Rolex Second-Team All-American; played on the West Team in 2018 Wyndham Cup; claimed tournament titles at the 2017 AJGA Sergio and Angela Garcia Foundation Junior Championship, 2017 TJGT Texas Junior Masters and 2016 AJGA Under Armour Jordan Spieth Qualifier

Competition notes 

Course setup: Par 70, 7,000 yards; R2 average: 68.28
Weather: Sunny with a high of 78; wind from the west-southwest at 2-7 mph with gusts up to 18 mph

• Samuel Anderson (T7/8-under) recorded a hole-in-one on the 191-yard par 3; capturing the second hole-in-one in PGA TOUR Americas history (Chris Crawford/Diners Club Peru Open).
• Seventy-three players made the cut at 4-under 136.
• Jorge Villar (T18/7-under) finished the second round as the low Latin player after carding a first-round even par followed by a 7-under 63 on Friday.
• Three players shot the low round of the day in 7-under 63: Jorge Villar (T18/7-under), Carson Lundell (T18/7-under) and Blake Tomlinson (T51/4-under).
• Fortinet Cup No. 2 and Team Canada member Matthew Anderson (T2/9-under) joins Brendan MacDougall (T7/8-under) and Ki Taek Lee (T18/7-under) as Canadians in the top 25.
• In the final event before the first reshuffle, Tommy Kuhl (T51/4-under) made his first cut of the North America Swing on the number after making an eagle on his final hole.
• Two-time winner and Fortinet Cup No. 1 Frederik Kjettrup made the cut on the number after carding a second-round, bogey-free 2-under 68.
• Max Theodorakis (T51/4-under) enters the weekend as the only Monday Qualifier to make the cut.
• Hole No. 1 – the 462-yard par 4 – is the most challenging hole at Château-Bromont, averaging a +.180.
• Lift, clean and place was in effect for the first and second rounds.