Things to Know

In his 73rd career start on the Korn Ferry Tour, Max Greyserman cards 8-under 64 for his second 18-hole lead/co-lead on Tour (T1 at 2021 Chitimacha Louisiana Open/finished T27)

Greyserman leads four players standing T2 at 7-under par; the group includes Rhein Gibson and Nelson Ledesma, both two-time Korn Ferry Tour winners

Coming off T2 finish at last week’s Club Clar Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club, Tom Whitney cards bogey-free 7-under 65 with birdies on two of his last three (Nos. 7 and 9) to sit T2, his highest 18-hole position on the Korn Ferry Tour

Playing his home course, sponsor exemption and Santiago, Chile native Matias Dominguez sits T22 at 4-under 68 in his second career Korn Ferry Tour start (T30/2015 Astara Chile Classic)

21 players are within three strokes of the lead heading into Friday’s second round

Four players will complete their first round Friday morning (restarting at 9 a.m.)

Second-round tee times will run from 7:45 a.m. through 2:45 p.m. off the first and 10th tees

First-Round Lead Notes

0: First-round leaders/co-leaders to win Astara Chile Classic

0: First-round leaders/co-leaders to win on Tour in 2023 (last: David Lingmerth/2022 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship)

Max Greyserman (1st / -8)

Makes nine birdies – four on par 4s (Nos. 1, 5, 8, 17), three on par 5s (Nos. 3, 9, 18) two on par 3s (Nos. 11, 15) – against one bogey on the par-3 seventh en route to 8-under 64

Ties his second-lowest round in a Korn Ferry Tour event (9-under 62/2021 Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS, R2; 8-under 63/2021 Veritex Bank Championship, R1)

Attended college at Duke University and turned professional in 2017

Played PGA TOUR Canada until he earned Korn Ferry Tour membership ahead of 2019 season via a T13 finish at Final Stage of the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament

As a rookie in 2019, made 12 cuts in 22 starts with two top-10s and finished 80th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List

Began the 2020-21 season with conditional status but logged six top-10s across 38 starts and finished 46th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List for fully exempt status in 2022

Played just seven events last season due to a wrist injury, logging five made cuts and a season-high T15 at the 2022 Panama Championship

Playing on a major medical extension this season, has two top-10s and an additional top-25 in five starts, including a T6 at last week’s Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club

Quotables

Max Greyserman on returning to competition after dealing with a wrist injury… “I came off wrist surgery last April. I tried to come back at the end of last season, which I definitely shouldn't have done, but it happens. I got bored. Offseason, didn't play much golf, was still bothering me a little bit. Got married in the offseason, went on a lot of trips, just didn't really do too much golf. I feel like just probably having a good attitude and working on the right things, kind of being a little more efficient in practice, just not really putting too much pressure on myself I guess. I think I got enough points to get over the medical, but now I've got full status. Just keep playing golf, keep doing the right things, try not to think about the end of the year or anything like that.”

Max Greyserman on the momentum from his T6 finish last week… “I got off to a rough start last week. I shot 2-over the first day when most people were going fairly low. Then I turned it up the last few days and I just kind of keep that momentum going. I saw my coach early last week, so I felt like we were working on the right things. And it just didn't go my way the first day, so I didn't feel like I played that bad, but sometimes it happens. I just kept a good attitude, kept playing golf.”

Rhein Gibson on his two eagles… “No. 3, my 12th hole, hit a driver, 3-iron middle of the green, played about 40 feet and just another putt that you just want to get close and that one went right in the middle, which was nice because I missed a couple coming around the turn. Then had a great number at No. 18 and hit a great 5-iron in there that landed just short of the green. And the course is starting to firm up, but that one seemed to hit pretty soft and went to about 12, 15 feet and rolled that in to cap off the day.”

Rhein Gibson on how his game is feeling this week… “Game feels pretty good. It's been pretty good all year really. It's nice to have a nice long break, to be honest, and happy to be here in Chile. Golf course is nice, similar to Australia again, just like Bogota a little bit. I feel comfortable here and yeah, good start to the week.”

Notes

At T2, Pontus Nyholm (T2 / -7) establishes a career-high 18-hole position on the Korn Ferry Tour (previous: T5 at 2022 LECOM Suncoast Classic/finished T22)

Of the two 2023 champions in this week’s field, both sit T25 or higher after 18 holes

Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard: Rhein Gibson (T2 /-7)

Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club: David Skinns (T22 / -4)

Making his first start since a win at the 2023 Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard, Gibson stands T2 or higher through 18 holes for the 10th time in his Korn Ferry Tour career (most recent: T2 at 2022 Lake Charles Championship/finished T21)

Gibson is the only player in the field with two eagles (par-5 third and ninth)

Tom Whitney (T2 / -7) holds his best 18-hole position on the Korn Ferry Tour (previous: T3 at 2022 Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation/finished T5; T3 at 2020 The King & Bear Classic at World Golf Village/finished T32; T3 at 2016 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank/missed cut)

Nelson Ledesma (T2 / -7) holds his best 18-hole position since 2022 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX (1st/finished T7)

In his sixth start of the season, Evan Harmeling (T6 / -6) sits inside the top-10 through 18 holes for the second time this season (previously T10 at The Bahamas Great Abaca Classic at The Abaco Club/finished T34)

Greyserman, Nyholm and Ledesma lead the field in birdies with nine apiece after 18 holes

Paul Peterson (T6 / -6) sits inside the top 25 through 18 holes for the third time in his career (T1 at 2020 Ascendant presented by Blue/finished T50; T2 at 2014 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank/finished T29)

In his first career Korn Ferry Tour start, conditional member Dimi Papadatos (T6 / -6) posts 6-under 66, including two sets of three birdies in a row (Nos. 8-10 and Nos. 13-15)