Chase Sienkiewicz holds lead at weather-delayed CRMC Championship

BRAINERD, Minn. – The first round of the CRMC Championship presented by Gertens was suspended Thursday due to darkness at 8 p.m. CT, and the second round will resume Friday at 7:45 a.m. CT. Play was initially suspended at 3 p.m. CT due to inclement weather and resumed at 6:30 p.m. CT. Twenty-six groups will finish their opening rounds Friday morning.

Chase Sienkiewicz holds the lead in the first round of the CRMC Championship with five holes left to play and is 7-under through 13 holes. Sienkiewicz holds a one-stroke lead over course-record holder Taylor Funk and U.S. Open and Masters low-amateur Neal Shipley, who is 6-under with five holes remaining in his first round. Three players are tied for fourth at 5-under 65.

Sienkiewicz carded three consecutive birdies to close out his opening nine on Thursday and posted a 4-under 31. Upon making the turn, the second-year professional birdied No. 2 and crucially eagled No. 4, the 580-yard par 5, to take solo possession of the lead. Sienkiewicz will finish the remainder of Round 1 on Friday morning with the opportunity to hold an 18-hole lead for the first time in his career.

The 24-year-old has posted two top-10s this season: T3 at the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship to conclude the Latin America Swing and T6 at the ATB Classic. Sienkiewicz’s first top-10 of the season in Colombia was the best finish of his career and boosted him to No. 18 in the Fortinet Cup entering the North America Swing. Since the ATB Classic, Sienkiewicz has remained inside the top 25 of the Fortinet Cup and will look to further improve his standing heading into the season-finale Fortinet Cup Championship, where the top 10 players in the season-long points list earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the 2025 season.

The California native graduated from the University of Arizona in 2023 and finished at No. 19 in the 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking, which granted him exempt membership for the PGA TOUR Canada season. In his rookie season, Sienkiewicz posted two top-10s in his first three starts as a professional. He finished No. 49 in the Fortinet Cup to earn exempt membership through the Latin America Swing of PGA TOUR Americas inaugural season.

Second-round tee times are scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. CT and will run until 5:40 p.m. CT off Nos. 1 and 10 tees.

About Chase Sienkiewicz (first/7-under through 13 holes)

Age: 24
Birthplace: Sacramento, California
Residence: Frisco, Texas
College: University of Arizona
Fortinet Cup (start of week): 22nd

• Initially gained exempt membership to the Latin America Swing through a top 60 finish in the 2023 PGA TOUR Canada Fortinet Cup; retained membership through the strength of his career-best finish at the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship (T3) to enter the North America Swing No. 18 in the Fortinet Cup
• Graduated from the University of Arizona last spring and was part of the Class of 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking; finished No. 19 to earn exempt membership into the 2023 PGA TOUR Canada season
• Posted his career-low round twice this season in 6-under 64 at The Beachlands Victoria Open and the BioSteel Championship
• Multi-sport athlete at Jesuit High School, and spent more time focusing on basketball than golf, until the summer before senior year, when he chose golf as his main priority
• Finished second in the Junior World Championships and fourth at the AJGA Juniors the summer before his senior year of high school

Competition notes

Course setup: par 70, 7,001 yards; R1 average: 69.60
Weather: Mostly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms and a high of 81; wind from the southwest at 7-14 mph with gusts up to 29 mph.

• Play was suspended at 3 p.m. CT on Thursday afternoon due to inclement weather and resumed at 6:30 p.m. CT; play was suspended a second time due to darkness at 8 p.m. CT; Round 1 will resume at 7:45 a.m. CT on Friday morning.
• Second-year professional Chase Sienkiewicz holds the first-round lead at 7-under with five holes remaining; 26 groups are left to finish Round 1.
• Five countries are represented in the top 10 and ties: United States (nine), Canada (one), Chile (one), Ireland (one), Denmark (one).
• Agustin Errázuriz (T7/4-under) leads the first round as the low Latin in 4-under 66.
• Team Canada member and Fortinet Cup No. 2 Matthew Anderson (T4/5-under) leads two other Canadians in the top 15 and ties: Lawren Rowe (T14/3-under) and A.J. Ewart (T14/3-under).
• Fortinet Cup No. 1 and CCRP Manitoba Open winner Johnny Keefer is 3-under through seven holes and tied for 14th.
• Hole No. 15 – the 234-yard par 3 – is the most challenging hole at Cragun’s Legacy Courses; averaging a +.460.