Cristobal Del Solar leads Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard after historic 57

Things to Know

• Chilean Cristobal Del Solar carded a first-round 13-under 57, marking the lowest 18-hole score ever recorded in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event.
  • The 30-year-old Del Solar topped the previous record of 58, previously achieved by Jim Furyk (PGA TOUR’s 2016 Travelers Championship) and Stephen Jaeger (Korn Ferry Tour’s 2016 Ellie Mae Classic)
  • Del Solar’s bogey-free 13-under 57 was made up of two eagles and nine birdies, including a front-nine score of 27, tied the lowest nine-hole score ever on the Korn Ferry Tour
• Brian Campbell and Michael Johnson sit four strokes off the lead both carding 9-under 61s, scores that would have matched the previous 18-hole low score for the event before Del Solar’s 57
• Of the 17 players who currently sit T12 or better only two played the Lagos Course: Kevin Velo and Brad Hopfinger who both carded 7-under 64s
• The Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard, hosted by Country Club de Bogotá and being played for the 14th time, is the fourth tournament of the 26-event 2024 Korn Ferry Tour schedule
• Round one was played with preferred lies

First-Round Lead Notes

Cristobal Del Solar (Leader / -13)

• Recorded a bogey-free 13-under 57 for the lowest score in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event
  • Previous best 18-hole score in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event was 58 by Jim Furyk on the PGA TOUR (2016 Travelers Championship) and Stephen Jaeger on the Korn Ferry Tour (2016 Ellie Mae Classic)
• Del Solar becomes the 11th player in Korn Ferry Tour history to record a sub-60 round
  • Holed nine first-round birdies and two eagles (par-4 ninth and par-5 12th) on the Pacos Course at Country Club de Bogota
  • Parred all four par 3s (Nos. 2, 4, 11, 17)
• Front-nine score of 27 matches the lowest nine-hole score in Korn Ferry Tour history
• Holds the 18-hole lead/co-lead for the fourth time in his Korn Ferry Tour career and first time since the 2023 Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron where he recorded his previous career low with a 9-under 62
• Through three events this season, has logged one top-10 finish (4th/The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay) and currently sits 14th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List
• Second-year member making the 29th start of his Korn Ferry Tour career this week
• Last year as a rookie, finished 52nd on the Points List to earn fully exempt membership for the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season
  • In 25 starts last season, tallied eight top-25 finishes and four top-10s, highlighted by a T5 at the NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank
• Turned professional in 2017, playing on PGA TOUR Canada in 2017 and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica from 2018-2022
• Won four times on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica (now PGA TOUR Americas since merging with PGA TOUR Canada) tying him for the second-most career wins in the Tour’s history
• Moved to the United States when he was 15 years old and attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida
• Played five seasons at Florida State University from 2012-17, winning once and garnering 2017 All-America Third Team recognition, as well as All-Atlantic Coast Conference laurels in 2016 and 2017
• Plays from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, but was originally born in Vina del Mar, Chile, roughly 76 miles from Santiago, where the Korn Ferry Tour’s Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank will be contested next month

Quotables

Cristobal Del Solar on recording the lowest round in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event… “Incredible, man. Honestly, I was just playing. I didn't even know what I was at. I asked my caddie on the 18th after hitting my 18th tee shot, we were just walking and I told him, am I going to break 60, because I've never broken 60 before. He said you're going to break a little bit more than 60.

“I played really good golf. I drove the ball well, chipped well and putted well. Yeah, I mean, I'm happy. It was a great round.”

Del Solar on when he knew he had a special round going… “I knew I made the turn at 8-under. I was like, you know what, let's try to give myself a little goal, I was trying to shoot like 4-under or 5-under on the back nine regardless of what I shot on the front. That kind of kept my head a little bit not thinking of what my score was. But yeah, it was good, kind of kept it going.”

Del Solar on if he left any shots out there… “Yeah, the front nine, it was really good overall. I wouldn't say I left any on the front nine, but the back nine. On No. 18 I hit it to maybe six feet for birdie and lipped out. No. 17 I hit it greenside and then didn't really hit a good chip and hit it to 15 feet and missed it. I had 20 yards, you know, from the front edge, so it was fairly simple.”

“I haven't counted exactly, but I would say around three missed opportunities that could have, you know, could have been a potential even greater round.”

Delo Solar on how he plans to celebrate his record-breaking round… “Well, today's the first round of the tournament, I've got to play tomorrow again. Hopefully, by Sunday I have an amazing week. Hopefully, I'll celebrate Sunday as well”

Additional Player Notes

• Brian Campbell (T2 / -9) carded a bogey-free 9-under 61 with five birdies (Nos. 2, 7, 10, 15, 18) and two eagles (Nos. 3 and 12) for the lowest round in his career; finished T17 in this event last season
• Michael Johnson (T2 / -9) made eight birdies (Nos. 1, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 17) and one eagle (No. 5) against one bogey (No. 2)
• Colombian Ricardo Celia (T4 / -8), sits five strokes back of the lead after an opening round 8-under 62 on the Pacos Course; leading all five Colombians in the field
• Charles Porter (T4 / -8) rolled in 10 birdies on the Pacos Course (Nos. 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17), countered by two bogeys, en route to a first-round 8-under 62
• Defending champion Rhein Gibson (T22 / -5) carded a 5-under 65 on the Pacos Course,
• 16-years-old amateur Santiago Leal (T143 / +3), the youngest player in the field carded a 3-over 73 on the Pacos Course; he trails fellow amateur and Colombian Daniel Faccinni (T137 / +2) by one stroke after 18 holes of play
  • Both Faccinni and Leal earned a sponsor exemption into the field through local qualifiers
• Only three players from the Lagos Course recorded bogey-free rounds; Brad Hopfinger (T12 / -7), Joe Weiler (T18 /-6), and Brice Garnett (T38 / -4)
• Kevin Kelo (T12 / -7) turned in a 7-under 64 in the opening round to match Hopfinder for the low round of the day on the Lagos Course
• There were nine bogey-free rounds across both courses
• Across both courses, 33 players recorded rounds of 65 or better; 30 of the players with rounds of 65 or better came from the Pacos Course

Course Statistics - Lagos

• Scoring Average (Par 71): 70.257 [-0.743]
• Scoring Average (Front Nine – Par 35): 34.898 [-0.102]
• Scoring Average (Back Nine – Par 36): 35.359 [-0.641]
• Toughest Hole: No. 9, Par 4, 447 yards – 4.244 [+0.244]
• Easiest Hole: No. 8, Par 5, 555 yards – 4.513 [-0.487]

Course Statistics - Pacos

• Scoring Average (Par 70): 66.564 [-3.436]
• Scoring Average (Front Nine – Par 35): 33.012 [-1.988]
• Scoring Average (Back Nine – Par 35): 33.552 [-1.448]
• Toughest Hole: No. 2, Par 3, 191 yards – 3.231 [+0.231]; No. 4, par 3, 154 yards – 3.231 [+0.231]
• Easiest Hole: No. 12, Par 5, 550 yards – 4.231 [-0.769]