Chandler Blanchet’s 2 Eagles Secure Narrow First‑Round Lead at Bermuda Championship

Chandler Blanchet eagled the final holes of each nine, posting a 9‑under 62 to seize the outright lead after the opening round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in Southampton on Thursday.

The 30‑year‑old Blanchet is nearing the end of his first full‑time season on the PGA Tour, having transferred from the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020. He is seeking his first PGA victory after a close second‑place finish at the Puerto Rico Open in March.

Four golfers—Americans Ben Kohles and Danny Walker, and Canadians Ben Silverman and Corey Conners—are a single stroke off the lead after each carded an 8‑under round at Port Royal Golf Course.

Playing the back nine first, Blanchet birdied holes 12 and 15 before cracking his first eagle on the par‑5 17th with a 52‑foot putt. After opening with birdies on the first and second tees, he bogeyed the fourth but rallied with back‑to‑back birdies and sealed his second eagle on the par‑5 seventh with a five‑foot putt.

“Really solid day today. Hit it awesome, made some good putts,” Blanchet said after his round. “I kind of had everything going. Really took advantage of the par 5s so that made a big difference.”

For the two‑time Korn Ferry Tour winner, the performance marked a strong rebound from his PGA debut at the Bermuda Championship in 2022, when he missed the cut.

“It was great memories coming back here. Was really excited to play,” Blanchet added.

Ben Kohles posted 11 birdies in his opening round, including a streak of six straight from holes 5 through 10, but three bogeys left him with only four pars.

“We were expecting a lot of rain pretty much the whole day and it kind of cleared up, really didn’t get any rain until about the last hole and a half,” Kohles noted. “It was nice to get off to a good start. Obviously having not much wind the first nine holes and being able to take advantage was nice to see.”

Corey Conners and Ben Silverman each recorded eight birdies, while Danny Walker combined six birdies with an eagle on the 17th, all finishing bogey‑free.

Adam Schenk, the defending champion from last year, sits 119th of 120 competitors after a 4‑over opening round.

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