Samuel Anderson among five players tied for lead after Friday at Explore NB Open

FREDERICTON, New Brunswick – Five players carded an 8-under 63 to share the first-round lead of the Explore NB Open. Samuel Anderson, Patrick Flavin, Ian Holt, Ryan Burnett and John Keefer are tied at the top of the leaderboard after recording a new course record at Mactaquac Golf Course.

Five players are tied for sixth in 7-under 64 including 69th ECP Brazil Open winner and Team Canada member Matthew Anderson, who carded his best round of the North America Swing on Friday.

Samuel Anderson holds a share of the lead for the second time this season after leading by three in the second round of the Diners Club Peru Open. The Wisconsin alum claimed his best finish of the season after finishing as solo runner-up at the event, which simultaneously moved him inside the top 10 of the Fortinet Cup. He recorded three top 10s in a span of eight weeks, as he most recently added his third with a solo fourth finish at The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist.

Flavin’s 8-under 63 marks his lowest round since the 2020 Wichita Open Benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics on the Korn Ferry Tour (62/8-under). Flavin began his PGA TOUR Americas career at the Bupa Championship at Tulum after earning a spot in the field via Monday qualifying. Although Flavin finished outside of the top 60 in the Latin America Swing, he retained conditional status and earned a spot in his first North America Swing event, the ATB Classic. A top-25 finish in Sherwood Park granted Flavin a spot in this week’s field, and the 28-year-old holds a share of the lead for the first time in his career.

Holt made his third consecutive PGA TOUR Americas start this week after initially gaining entry into the first event of the North America Swing via Monday qualifying. The Kent State alum solidified his spot in the Explore NB Open by claiming back-to-back top 25 finishes at The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist followed by the ATB Classic. This marks Holt’s third 18-hole lead/co-lead in his career (previous: 2022 Osprey Valley Open presented by presented by Votorantim Cimentos CBM Aggregates/T41).

The No. 7 finisher in the 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking, Burnett, is tied for the lead as he recorded a career low in 8-under 63. The North Carolina alum holds the lead for the first time in his career, in what is his first full season as a professional. Burnett joined the Korn Ferry Tour mid-season last year via PGA TOUR University benefits. The 24-year-old played the Latin America Swing of PGA TOUR Americas this season off these benefits, but ultimately earned exempt status for the North America Swing via Q-School last month. He recorded his best finish of the season at The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist in June (T16/-13).

Rookie Keefer is tied at the top of the leaderboard in the third event of his professional career. The Baylor alum made his professional debut at The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist, and has since placed inside the top-five in back-to-back events (T5/The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist, T2/ATB Classic). Keefer earned exempt status for the North America Swing via finishing No. 25 in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking. Friday’s 8-under 63 marks a career-best for the 23-year-old, as he has recorded eight out of his nine rounds played this season in the 60s.

The second round of the Explore NB Open will begin at 7:30 a.m. AT and will run until 2:40 p.m. off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees on Saturday. Due to inclement weather on Thursday postponing the first round to Friday, 36 holes will be played on Sunday in order to complete the 72-hole event.

About Samuel Anderson (T1/8-under)

Age: 25
Birthplace: Stoughton, Wisconsin
Residence: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
College: University of Wisconsin
Fortinet Cup (start of week): Eighth

• Played four collegiate seasons at the University of Wisconsin (2017-21) where his best finish was a solo runner-up at the 2019 Musketeer Classic
• Started playing golf at the age 3 and was taught by his father and grandfather; grew up playing at Stoughton Country Club
• Holds the lead for the second time this season after leading in the second round of the Diners Club Peru Open where he recorded the best finish of his career (second/-15)
• Earned status for the Latin America Swing on PGA TOUR Americas through a second-place finish at the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Dev Series Final; retained exempt membership through a top-60 finish in the Fortinet Cup at the conclusion of the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship

About Patrick Flavin (T1/8-under)

Age: 28
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Residence: Highwood, Illinois
College: Miami (Ohio) University
Fortinet Cup (start of week): 63rd

• Played four seasons at Miami (Ohio) University (2014-18), where he was a four-time All-Mid-American Conference First Team selection, the 2015 MAC Freshman of the Year, garnered two All-America Scholar laurels and broke school records for career scoring average (72.99) and career wins (eight)
• Began his PGA TOUR Americas career at the Bupa Championship at Tulum after earning a spot in the field via Monday qualifying; retained conditional status and earned a spot in his first North America Swing event, the ATB Classic, where he finished inside the top-25 to earn a spot in the Explore NB Open
• Won the 2017 Illinois State Amateur Championship, in addition to winning the 2017 Illinois Open at The Glen Club, host of the Korn Ferry Tour's NV5 Invitational, while still an amateur; he was the second player in history to win both tournaments in the same year (previous was David Ogrin in 1980)
• Earliest golf memory is running around with his brothers at the par-3 course at Boulder Country Club
• Honorary ambassador for the First Tee of Greater Chicago

About Ian Holt (T1/8-under)

Age: 28
Birthplace: Stow, Ohio
Residence: Charleston, South Carolina
College: Kent StateUniversity
Fortinet Cup (start of week): 96th

• Played four seasons at Kent State University (2014-18), earning a 2018 All-America Second Team laurel and back-to-back Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Year awards in 2017 and 2018
• A conditional member on PGA TOUR Americas after finishing inside the top 25 and ties at the British Columbia Q-School site last month; made his third consecutive start after Monday Qualifying into The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist and finishing inside the top 25 in back-to-back events
• Frequently attended the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, as a kid and tried to get as many signatures as possible on his hat
• Grew up playing Fox Den Golf Course in Stow, Ohio; he also worked on the maintenance crew throughout high school and college
• In his amateur career, won the 2013 Hudson Junior Invitational and was a three-time OHSAA All-State selection who was medalist at the 2011 OHSAA DIVISION I State Championship

About Ryan Burnett (T1/8-under)

Age: 24
Birthplace: Lafayette, California
Residence: Lafayette, California
College: University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Fortinet Cup (start of week): 70th

• Finished No. 7 in the 2023 PGA TOUR University Ranking, earning conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour where he played 11 events after joining mid-season
• Utilized PGA TOUR University benefits to retain status for the Latin America Swing of the inaugural season of PGA TOUR Americas; kept his exempt membership through Q-School in British Columbia last month
• Played five collegiate seasons (2018-23) at the University of North Carolina where he claimed three individual victories (2019/Turning Stone Missouri Tiger Invitational, 2023/Calusa Cup, 2023/NCAA Salem Regional)
• Likes to play baseball, basketball and tennis and swimming; enjoys fishing, spending time with friends and exploring adventurous restaurants
• Greatest golf achievement is earning Rolex All-America honors and playing for Team USA in the Toyota World Team Championship in Japan in summer 2018

About John Keefer (T1/8-under)

Age: 23
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland
Residence: San Antonio, Texas
College: Baylor University
Fortinet Cup (start of week): 15th

• 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 back-to-back top-five finishes in his first two starts (T5/The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist, T2/ATB Classic)
• Only men’s golfer in Big 12 history to be named Scholar Athlete of the Year in Back-to-Back seasons (2022, '23); named to the 2023 CSC Academic All-District Team, and was a three-time GCAA All-Region selection and three-time 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, and 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
• Played lacrosse from age 5 until senior year of high school

Competition notes

Course setup: Par 71 / 7,020 yards; Round 1 average: 68.07

Weather: Partly cloudywith a high of 81. Wind from the south-southwest at 2-5 mph with gusts up to 11 mph.

• The five co-leaders set the new course record at Mactaquac Golf Course in 8-under 63 (Samuel Anderson, Patrick Flavin, Ian Holt, Ryan Burnett, John Keefer).
• Five Canadians are in the top 25, led by Team Canada member Matthew Anderson, (T6/-7) who is No. 2 in the Fortinet Cup, along with Thomas Giroux (T11/-6), A.J. Ewart (T11/-6), Drew Nesbitt (T23/-5) and Brady McKinlay (T23/-5).
• Back-to-back winner and Fortinet Cup No. 1 Frederik Kjettrup is tied for 11th at 6-under.
• Argentina’s Marcos Montenegro (T11/-6) is the low Latin after 18 holes.
• Sponsor exemption and Canadian Blair Bursey (T68/-3) leads the three Maritimers in the field.
• Matthew Sutherland (T23/-5) leads five Monday qualifiers in the field who are under par, including Jake Scott (T68/-3), Jacob Tarkany (a) (T87/-2), Caleb Manuel (T87/-2) and Charlie Nikitas (T87/-2).
• Hole No. 7 – the 510-yard par 4 – was the most challenging hole at Mactaquac Golf Course; averaging a +.270.