Phichaksn Maichon, S.Y. Noh share lead after Round 1 at Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship

Charting the leaders (stats entering week)

Phichaksn Maichon (T1/-8)

• Made a hole-in-one on the par-3 fifth with a 5-iron from 229 yards en route to a career-low bogey-free 8-under 63 (previous 18-hole career low: 64/three occurrences)
• Holds first 18-hole lead/co-lead of his career in what is his 32nd start on the Korn Ferry Tour (previous 18-hole high position: T2/2026 The Blue Championship/finished T3)
• Making his first career start at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship
• Second-year Korn Ferry Tour member finished No. 157 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List as a rookie
• Finished No. 6 in the 2025 PGA Tour University Ranking, earning membership for the remainder of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season
• Played four seasons at Texas A&M University (2021-25), where he earned four collegiate victories and finished solo second individually at the 2025 NCAA Championship

S.Y. Noh (T1/-8)

• Matches his career-low 18-hole score on the Korn Ferry Tour with an 8-under 63 (fifth occurrence)
• First 18-hole lead/co-lead of his Korn Ferry Tour career in what is his 72nd start (previous 18-hole high position: T2/2025 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open presented by Syndeo/MC)
• Winner of the 2013 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship is making his sixth career start at the event this week; owns two additional top-25 finishes along with his victory (2022/T14, 2025/T16)
• Finished No. 62 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List for a second consecutive season to retain full membership for the 2026 season
• PGA Tour winner (2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans) returned to the Korn Ferry Tour following a No. 171 finish in the 2023 FedExCup Fall
• Owns 248 starts on the PGA Tour with 44 top-25 finishes and 13 top-10s along with his aforementioned victory

Additional notes

• Matthew Riedel (T3/-7), who stands No. 91 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, birdies his final four holes (Nos. 15-18) of the round for a 7-under 64, logging a new 18-hole high position (previous 18-hole high position: T12/2024 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank and Intermountain Health/finished T15).
• Christiaan Maas (T3/-7), who stands No. 102 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, cards a bogey-free 7-under 64 and establishes a new 18-hole high position (previous best: T4/2026 Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse/finished T33); earned membership for the remainder of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season with a No. 2 finish in the 2026 PGA Tour University Ranking.
• Rick Lamb (T5/-6), who stands No. 66 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, made an ace on the par-3 eighth with a 6-iron from 199 yards en route to a bogey-free 6-under 65.
• Uniontown, Ohio native Maxwell Moldovan (T60/-1), who played four seasons at Ohio State University (2020-24), opens in 1-under 70 with birdies on two of his final three holes (Nos. 7, 8).
• The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship is the second of four season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Finals events; the top 100 players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List upon conclusion of this week’s final round will qualify for the Compliance Solutions Championship.