Chris Baker’s bogey-free round of 63 tied the course record and has him one shot clear of the field after the first day of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.
The tournament will have a Labor Day finish at Victoria National GC in Newburgh, Indiana. Baker was born in Seymour, Indiana, about two and a half hours northeast of Newburgh.
He called the round “stress free” after posting seven birdies and an eagle on Friday, the opening round of the final event on the Korn Ferry schedule.
Baker started the week T-48 on the Korn Ferry Finals 25 standings, on the outside looking in as he seeks his PGA Tour card for next season. There are 13 cards left to be awarded.
Joseph Bramlett is in second after he shot a 64. He also had seven birdies and an eagle but his bogey on 16 was the difference.
Meanwhile, Anirban Lahiri withdrew from the event, making that announcement on Twitter. Lahiri wrote that he was heading back to Florida to evacuate his family with Hurricane Dorian bearing down on the state.
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