Johnny Keefer leads by two as play is suspended in Round 1 of The Panama Championship

Charting the leader

Johnny Keefer (first/-7 thru 17)

• First-year member making his third career start on the Korn Ferry Tour; poised to hold first 18-hole lead/co-lead in a Korn Ferry Tour event, with his previous career-high 18-hole position being T16/2025 The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club (finished T60)
• Looks to post a career-low round on the Korn Ferry Tour; best round this season: 67/R2/The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club
• One of three players looking to record a bogey-free first round (Hank Lebioda, Rob Oppenheim)
• Earned fully exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the 2025 season by finishing No. 1 in the 2024 Fortinet Cup standings on PGA TOUR Americas; in 10 starts last season, made all 10 cuts and posted nine top-10s, including four runner-up finishes and a victory at the 2024 CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open
• Claimed the final spot in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking and finished No. 25 to earn exempt membership into the North America Swing of PGA TOUR Americas
• Played five seasons (2019-24) at Baylor University where he recorded seven top-three finishes, highlighted by two victories (2021/Rice Intercollegiate, 2023/Valero Texas Collegiate); topped PGA TOUR member Jimmy Walker’s school record for career stroke average (71.45)

Additional player notes

• Second-year member Nick Gabrelcik (second/-5 thru 16) is in line to establish a new career-high 18-hole position (previous: T16/2024 Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Hiland Dairy Foods)
• Korn Ferry Tour winner T.J. Vogel (T3/-4) looks to establish his best 18-hole position since being T3/2020 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank and Intermountain Health (finished T18)
• Sam Bennett (T3/-4), who finished No. 31 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List as a rookie – one spot outside of earning a PGA TOUR card – records his low round of the season in 4-under 66
• The top-ranked player in the field and six-time Japan Golf Tour winner, Kensei Hirata (T3/-4), posts 4-under 66 via six birdies and two bogeys in his second start of the season; finished runner-up in his Korn Ferry Tour debut at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club
• Korn Ferry Tour Points List leader and winner of The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island, Hank Lebioda (T3/-4), opens with a bogey-free 4-under 66; cards his eighth round of the season in the 60s (low round: 62/R2/The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island
• Pierceson Coody (T10/-3), a Class of 2023 Korn Ferry Tour graduate and winner of the 2023 Panama Championship, makes his second start of the season and sits T10; finished T7 at The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island – his first start on the Korn Ferry Tour since earning PGA TOUR membership at the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance