Korn Ferry Tour: Carl Yuan rides hot start to tie for second, as Jimmy Stanger finds himself in unfamiliar territory in Panama
- Chinese golfer shoots 5-under 65 at Panama Golf Club in first round of Korn Ferry Tour event
- Stanger’s 6-under leaves him alone out in front for first time in 86 starts on Tour
China’s Carl Yuan made a fast start and just kept going in the first round of The Panama Championship, shooting a 5-under par 65 to finish one stroke behind early leader Jimmy Stanger.
Yuan’s birdie-birdie start, and two more at holes 6 and 7, came either side of a bogey at the par-4 5th, the only blemish on his scorecard.
An eagle on the par-5 12th was the highlight of an error-free back nine, which left him in a six-way tie for second at Panama Golf Club on Friday (HKT).
It featured five of the hardest holes relative to par during the Tour’s 2019 season, and has had the highest scoring average on several occasions.
Given that, and the fact it is the first time Stanger has held a first round lead, and the American was rightly happy with his performance.
“This is a really tough golf course,” he said. “You’ve got to hit some quality shots. I hit some great shots the first three holes, and stayed in a good mindset, never really got ahead of myself, and never stopped hitting quality shots.”