BRAINERD, Minn. – Grant Booth holds sole possession of the 18-hole lead for the first time in the 2025 season after carding a career-low, 9-under 62 Thursday in the first round of the CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center.

Minnesota native Derek Hitcher is in solo-second after an opening-round, 8-under 63. Hitchner finished his round at Cragun’s Legacy Course bogey-free and made eight birdies to sit one back of the lead after Thursday. Five players carded rounds of 7-under 64, including Minnesota native Andrew Israelson. Israelson is in the field playing on a sponsor exemption and made two eagles and six birdies to head into Friday at T3.

After starting his round on No. 10, Booth carded a 6-under 29 on his first nine and did not make a bogey to take hold of the first-round lead. The Australian entered the week at No. 64 in the Fortinet Cup points list and would move to No. 12 if he were to win in Brainerd.

In addition to Booth, Jonathan De Los Reyes also carded a 6-under 29 on the back nine on Thursday. All players finished first-round play on Thursday, and second-round tee times are expected to run from 7:30 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. CST off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees on Friday.

About Grant Booth (first/9 under)

• Holds sole possession of the 18-hole lead for the first time this season after carding a career-low 9-under 62: Booth entered the week at No. 64 in the Fortinet Cup.
• Registered two top-15 finishes during the Latin America Swing, with his best coming at the season-opening 93 Abierto Del Centro presentado por Zurich (T8)
• Caddied at the Silverleaf Club in Arizona and Shadow Creek in Las Vegas in college
• Earned All-Mountain-West Conference honors in his senior season at Nevada in 2017-18

Competition notes

Course setup: Par 71 / 7,022 yards; R1 average: 69.073

Weather: Sunny with a high of 77. Wind from the SW at 2-8 mph with gusts up to 16 mph.

• Booth holds the solo 18-hole lead after carding a 9-under 62 in the first round, a career-low.
• Fortinet Cup No. 1 Michael Brennan is T8 after carding a 6-under 65 in the first round.
• Brendon Doyle made an albatross on hole No. 5, the 541-yard par 5.
• Booth, Johnny De Los Reyes, Buck Brumlow and Carson Bacha lead the field in birdies made, with nine.
• Hole No. 5, the 541-yard par 5, played as the easiest hole in the first round (-0.737 strokes under par).
• Hole No. 10, the 460-yard par 4, played as the toughest hole at Cragun’s Legacy Course in the first round (+0.269 strokes over par).