07-02-2025
Rayhan Thomas opens strong at Astara Golf Championship in Colombia
Dubai's Rayhan Thomas made a confident start at the $1 million Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard in Colombia, firing a four-under-par 66 in the opening round to place himself in a tie for 22nd.
Thomas took full advantage of the shorter Pacos Course at Country Club de Bogotá, navigating its layout with precision as American Rick Lamb surged to the top of the leaderboard with a blistering eight-under-par 62, setting the pace in this Korn Ferry Tour event.
Teeing off from the first, Thomas delivered an impressive front nine, carding a four-under 31. After an early bogey on the second, he quickly rebounded with consecutive birdies on the third and fourth holes before stringing together three more from the seventh to the ninth.
On the back nine, he added another birdie on the 12th, but a late bogey on the 17th saw him settle for his opening 66. With 87 players in the 156-man field finishing under par, the competition remains fierce heading into Round 2.
Looking ahead Thomas commented: 'It was a pretty solid start. The Pacos Course isn't long at just 6,254 yards, so I expected some low scores. Looking ahead, I need to putt better and create more birdie chances – I'll need them.'
He will shift to the longer Lagos Course for his second round, teeing off at 2:25 pm GMT from the 10th hole. With mild winds and possible showers in the forecast, conditions could add an extra challenge.
Currently ranked 24th on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Order of Merit after three events, Thomas remains firmly in the hunt for a coveted top-20 finish by season's end—an achievement that would secure him a full PGA Tour card for 2026.
