Errazuriz holds first-round lead in Peru

LIMA, Peru—Starting strong with six birdies in his first nine holes, Chilean Agustin Errazuriz was able to hold on through his final nine to finish atop the leaderboard, with a 6-under 66 Thursday at the Diners Club Peru Open at the Los Inkas Golf Club. The 23-year-old from Santiago, Chile, finished his early morning round with a one-stroke lead on his closest competitors, Mason Lenhart (U.S.), Blair Bursey (Canada), Jesus Montenegro (Argentina) and Alexandre Rocha (Brazil) at the conclusion of the first round in Lima.

“I have been playing really well lately,” Errazuriz said. “The last two weeks I played in Chile, I finished second, coming very close to winning, losing a (nine-hole, sudden-death) playoff to Felipe (Aguilar) that I almost won. All-around, I feel great about my golf, I feel confident and I believe this could be a good week.”

Turning pro in 2021, Errazuriz is now playing his second full season on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. Making five cuts in 11 starts as a rookie, last season, he has carded two other rounds of 66 during his PGA TOUR Latinoamérica career but none with four straight birdies. And, although, the former Lynn University golfer, didn’t make the cut at this event last year, he has every right to feel good heading into day two with the lead at Los Inkas.

“Last year, I missed the cut (here), but this week I have arrived with a lot more confidence. I have been making more putts, and that has made a difference. It’s a matter of adding experience,” Errazuriz concluded. “I’m more experienced, and I'm very confident now, so I'm happy.”

And while the Diners Club Peru Open marks the start of the second half of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season, there is no better time to make a move in the race to win the Totalplay Cup and claim those 2024 Korn Ferry Tour cards available.

Linus Lilliedahl, of Sweden, is currently in the best position to take the Totalplay Cup lead. Currently sitting at No. 4 in the standings, Lilliedahl finished Thursday with a 4-under 68 and is tied for sixth, with seven others. New Zealand’s Denzel Ieremia joins U.S. players Conner Godsey, Samuel Anderson, Anthony Paolucci, Briggs Duce, Daniel Hudson and Walker Lee as those two strokes off of the lead.

Did you know Lilledahl currently sits just 64 points away from the top spot in the Totalplay Cup standings? Cristóbal Del Solar is the current No. 1, but his reign is likely coming to an end this week, with several players within striking distance. Del Solar last played on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in December, claiming a win and a third-place finish before focusing on the Korn Ferry Tour. Currently ranked 38th at the next level, Del Solar will be playing the PGA TOUR’s Mexico Open at Vidanta this week. He was awarded an exemption at that event by virtue of his Totalplay Cup position.

Key Information

By shooting a 66 Thursday, Agustin Errazuriz tied his low PGA TOUR Latinoamérica score. He has shot 6-under 66 in two other PGA TOUR events since turning pro and, coincidently, every time they’ve come in the first round. The first time was at the 2022 JHSF Brazil Open and his second 66 came at this season’s Neuquén Argentina Classic. He made the cut in both events.

Jake McCrory and Charlie Hillier are the only other 2022-23 tournament winners in this week’s field. Hillier won the last event, the JHSF Brazil Open and was the first—and only—wire-to-wire winner of the season. He opened this tournament with a 2-under 70 and is currently tied for 23rd. McCrory, the Termas de Rio Hondo Invitational champion, marked a 2-over 74 and is tied for 90th.

There are 14 Peruvians competing this week in their national open, with Joaquin Lolas currently the best among them. As a current member of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and the Los Inkas Golf Club, Lolas sits six shots off the lead and tied for 52nd. His closest compatriots, Luis Fernando Barco, Percy Yanez and amateur Mauricio Tello,are all at 1-over 73 and tied for 78th.

There are four past Peru Open tournament winners in this week’s field, with Argentina’s Leandro Marelli the most recent. Marelli, the 2019 champion, enters the week ranked 10th in the Totalplay Cup standings and is currently sitting at 2-under 70 and tied for 23rd. The other past winners who are back this week are Mexico’s Rodolfo Cazaubón, who claimed the 2015 title and is also at 2-under, Argentina’s Julián Etulain, who won his first of back-to-back titles 10 years ago, in 2013, and shot a first round of 3-over 75 and Oklahoma native Charlie Saxon, who went bogey-free for his 54-hole win in 2017. Saxon is currently sitting in the highest position of all the past winners. He’s tied for 14th after shooting a 3-under 69.

Quotable

“I started with a birdie on hole No. 10, then a missed a short one on No. 11, but after that I hit the ball really close and made four birdies in a row. I was very relaxed, very solid, hitting fairways and giving myself chances to build a really nice round. The second nine was a bit uneven, but it’s a great round anyway, so I’m happy. –Agustin Errazuriz

“Where I’m from it’s pretty remote and pretty cold. It’s still snowing in some parts right now, so it’s really nice to be playing in good weather on a really well-conditioned golf course. –CanadianBlair Bursey on how nice it is to be playing in Peru

“It was actually a bit sporadic. I didn’t drive it very well. I didn’t hit very many fairways, but the fairways I did hit, I made birdies and I saved pars when I didn’t. I was just trying to stay patient out there. –Mason Lenhart on his 5-under round.

First-Round Weather: Mostly Sunny and pleasant. High of 82. Wind SSW at 3-9 mph with gusts to 17 mph.