James Nicholas and Caleb VanArragon are tied for the lead after the first round of the Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank at the Prince of Wales Country Club in Santiago, Chile. Both shot 7-under 64 on Thursday.

Charting the Co-Leaders (stats entering week)

James Nicholas (T1/7 under)

• Cards bogey-free 7-under 64 and holds his first 18-hole lead/co-lead in what is his 71st career start on the Korn Ferry Tour (previous career-high 18-hole position: T2/2025 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open/finished T23)
• Earned his first Korn Ferry Tour title last month at the 2026 Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard in Bogota, Colombia, where he eagled the 72nd hole of regulation for a two-stroke victory
• One of three first-time Korn Ferry Tour winners this season (Ian Holt, Alistair Docherty)
• Finished No. 64 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour points list, earning full status for the 2026 season
• Missed the cut at the 2025 Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank, his only previous start in the event
• Previously held conditional status for the 2020-21 and 2022 Korn Ferry Tour seasons, and played the 2024 season on the DP World Tour
• Played four seasons at Yale University (2015-19), where he earned five collegiate victories, including medalist honors at the 2019 Ivy League Championship, and was the 2018 and 2019 Ivy League Player of the Year

Caleb VanArragon (T1/7 under)

• Opens with bogey-free 7-under 64 and holds his first 18-hole lead/co-lead in what is his 32nd career start on the Korn Ferry Tour (previous career-high 18-hole position: T2/2025 Evans Scholars Invitational/finished T7)
• Finished No. 56 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour points list as a rookie, earning full status for the 2026 season
• Finished T75 at the 2025 Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank, his only previous start in the event
• Earned Korn Ferry Tour membership for the first time via 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry
• Played five seasons at Valparaiso University (2019-24), where he was a five-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection and the 2024 MVC Golfer of the Year

Additional Notes

• Marshall Meisel (T3/6 under) makes a field-leading nine birdies to card 6-under 65; he was one of five players who advanced through each stage of 2025 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, beginning with pre-qualifying, and he entered this week at No. 74 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List with three made cuts in five starts, including a T17 at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club.
• Sponsor exemption Gustavo Silva (T7/5 under), a native of Rancagua, Chile, opens his second career start on the Korn Ferry Tour (2023 Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank/MC) with a bogey-free, 5-under 66.
• Argentine amateur Segundo Oliva Pinto (T40/2 under), who qualified for this week’s event with a T7 finish at the 119 Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro last week, opens in 3-under 68; his top 10 last week was the first by an amateur in a Korn Ferry Tour event since 2022 (Cole Anderson/T3/Live and Work in Maine Open).