Rayhan Thomas fires solid 69 at Panama Championship, caps round with a birdie
Play was suspended due to darkness, with 24 players yet to complete their rounds. Johnny Keefer (USA) leads at seven under through 17 holes.
A total of 43 players are currently under par as the first round stands.
Starting on the 10th hole, Thomas had an eventful front nine, mixing four birdies, two bogeys, and three pars to make the turn at 33. A pair of bogeys on holes two and five saw him drop back to even par, but he bounced back with a clutch birdie on the par-4 ninth—his final hole—to sign for a back-nine 36 and a 69 overall.
Reflecting on his round, Thomas told Khaleej Times:
"It was a decent start today. I missed some bad spots and had a couple of bogeys, but overall, I hit some good shots and made some birdies. I was thrilled to birdie my last hole, the ninth, to get into the red.'
He praised the 7,534-yard, par-70 course, noting its demanding layout: 'The golf course is very good – you have to be pretty strategic off the tee, and into the greens – you really have to execute your shots precisely to make a score.
'I have to be focused and tough - just make some birdies tomorrow and then hopefully kill it over the weekend after the 36-hole cut.'
Currently sitting 13th in the Korn Ferry Tour Points List with 101 points after two events, Thomas remains firmly in contention for a top-20 season finish, which would earn him a coveted PGA Tour card.
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