Mason Andersen holds solo 36-hole lead following a career-low round at the Astara Chile Classic

Things to Know

In his sixth start, Korn Ferry Tour rookie Mason Andersen cards a career-low 9-under 63 to hold his first lead/co-lead of any kind on Tour

Andersen holds a one-stroke lead over Pontus Nyholm and Max Greyserman and a two-stroke lead over a trio of players, including two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner Nelson Ledesma

18-hole leader Max Greyserman eagles his final hole on Friday to move T2, one-shot off the lead

Playing his home course, sponsor exemption and Santiago, Chile native Matias Dominguez makes the cut after a 1-under 71 second round and sits T48 in his second career Korn Ferry Tour start (T30/2015 Astara Chile Classic)

Martin Contini recorded the first albatross of the season with a two at the par-5 third, en route to making the cut on the number

The 36-hole cut was made at 5-under par, with 71 professionals advancing to the final two rounds

Round three will run from 8:10 a.m. through 2:10 p.m. on Saturday in twosomes off No. 1

Second-Round Lead Notes

2: Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win Astara Chile Classic (Dawie van der Walt, 2015; Paul Haley II, 2012)

1: Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win on Tour in 2023 (David Skins/Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club)

Mason Andersen (First / -14)

In his sixth career Korn Ferry Tour start, holds his first 36-hole lead/co-lead

Previous career-high 36-hole positon on Tour was T6 at the 2023 The Panama Championship/finished T24; he also stook T8 through 36 holes at last week’s Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club (finished T25)

Makes eagle at the par-5 third, along with eight birdies and one bogey to card career-low round of 9-under 63 (previous career-low round: 6-under 66 in round two of last week’s Club Car Championship at the Landings & Golf Athletic Club)

Season-high finish in five previous starts as a rookie this year is T24/The Panama Championship

Turned professional in summer 2022 following five seasons at Arizona State University, where he twice earned medalist honors, garnered 2022 All-American Third Team recognition, eared a 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference First Team selection, and went 3-0 in match playas Arizona State finished runner-up at the 2022 NCAA Championships

Finished T12 at Final Stage of the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament for guaranteed starts in the first eight events of the 2023 season; he was one of eight players who advanced through each stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament, beginning with pre-qualifying

Prior to his freshman season at Arizona State, qualified for the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills

Quotables

Mason Andersen on what he’s learned this season… “I learned that you've got to keep your foot down. There's been a couple times this season so far where I've let up and I just didn't have the finish that -- I was in a good position in Panama, I was in a good position in Savannah. I kind of let up, I kind of let my guard down and paid the price. So just got to keep it going this week.

Mason Andersen on the start to his professional career… “I’m pretty happy about it. I mean, it is -- it's not quite like -- the Korn Ferry Tour is not where you want to be, you want to be on the PGA TOUR, but the Korn Ferry Tour is a great tour and it's a tour you've got to go through. Yeah, I'm really happy to be where I'm at and really happy with the way that I'm playing right now.”

Ryan McCormick on his bogey-free 10-under… "It's been a day. You know, my coach, Bernie Najar, and I talked a little last week on Sunday and I started to hit it better. I shot 31 in my final nine Sunday last week and kind of felt like I was turning the corner with some of the swing stuff we've been working on. Hit it great yesterday, just didn't score well. Scoring was there today, so yeah, it was awesome.”

Notes

Ryan McCormick (T2 / -12) cards the low round of the tournament with a bogey-free 10-under 62, including eight birdies and one eagle (at par-5 ninth)

McCormick stands higher than T5 through 36 holes for the fifth time in his career (most recently T5 at the 2023 The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay/finished T21)

Steven Fisk (T4 / -12) holds his best 36-hole position on the Korn Ferry Tour (previous: T9 at 2022 The Ascendant presented by Blu/finished T18 and the 2022 NV5 Invitational/finished T21)

Pontus Nyholm (T2 / -13) stands T2 for a second consecutive round and stands higher than T9 through 36 holes for only the second time in his career (1st at 2022 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank/finished T21)

Continuing to play on a major medical extension, Max Greyserman (T2 / -13) ties his career-high 36-hole position (T2 at 2021 Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS/finished T29)

Nelson Ledesma (T4 / -12) is the only player standing T4 or higher to previously win on the Korn Ferry Tour (2018 LECOM Health Challenge; 2019 The Ascendant presented by Blue)

In his eighth start on Tour, conditional member Dalton Ward (T8 / -10) posts 6-under 66 on Friday, including six birdies in a span of eight holes (started on 10: Nos. 16-18, No. 2 and Nos. 4-5)

Ward sits inside the top 5 through 36 holes for the first time in his career

Tim Widing (T11 / -9) leads the field in birdies through 36-holes with 16

Chase Johnson (T38 / -6) successfully open qualified into the field and was the only one of the four open qualifiers who made the 36-hole cut

Sponsor exemption and Santiago, Chile native Hugo Leon (T38 / -6) makes the cut after a 4-under 68 second round and sits T38