George Markham, Maxwell Moldovan share first-round lead at 70th ECP Brazil Open

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – George Markham and Maxwell Moldovan share the first-round lead of the 70th ECP Brazil Open after opening rounds of 8-under 63. Four players sit T3 after rounds of 7-under 64. The first round was suspended due to darkness at 6 p.m. local time, with seven players left to finish.

Markham got in rhythm at the Rio Olympic Golf Course which led to seven birdies and an eagle on No. 16. Markham’s round of 8-under 63 matches his career low round in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event, which he originally carded in the second round of the 2023 Fortinet Cup Championship. Markham finished No. 42 in the 2024 Fortinet Cup after a season that was highlighted by a T2 finish at the Commissionaires Ottawa Open.

Moldovan started his round with an eagle on No. 10 and didn’t look back. In addition to his eagle, Moldovan, the No. 20 player in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2024, carded six birdies and no bogeys en route to a share of the 18-hole lead. After turning professional after the 2023-24 NCAA season, Moldovan made nine starts on PGA TOUR Americas last summer, highlighted by a T17 finish at the 2024 BioSteel Championship.

First-round play will resume at 7:15 a.m., with the second round expected to start as scheduled at 6:30 a.m off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees.

Charting the leaders

About George Markham (T1/-8/63)

 

• Made eight cuts in 15 starts on PGA TOUR Americas in 2024, highlighted by a T2 finish at the Commissionaires Ottawa Open
• Finished No. 42 in the 2024 Fortinet Cup to retain exempt membership for the 2025 Latin America Swing
• Made his tournament debut at the 69th ECP Brazil Open in 2024 (T27)
• Named the 2018-19 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Golfer of the Year after his senior season at the Colorado School of Mines after notching five top-10s and eight top-25s

About Maxwell Moldovan (T1/-8/63)

 

• Finished as the No. 20 player in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2024
• Named to the All-Big Ten team four times, including first-team selections in 2021-22 and 2022-23
• Won four collegiate tournaments during his time at Ohio State, including three in his sophomore season (2021-22)
• Earned AJGA Player of the Year honors in 2019, becoming the first male from the Midwest to earn the award
• Won the 2019 Ohio Amateur Championship

Competition notes

 

Course Setup: Par 71 / 7,163 yards; R1 average: 69.17

Weather: Cloudy with a high of 91. Wind from the SSW at eight mph with gusts up to 12 mph.

• Two countries are represented in the top five and ties: United States (five) and the Dominican Republic (one).
• Americans George Markham and Maxwell Moldovan share the first-round lead after rounds of 8-under 64.
• Making his third PGA TOUR-sanctioned start of 2025 and first career PGA TOUR Americas start, Brazil native Fred Biondi sits T17 after an opening round 5-under 66.
• Willy Pumarol (Dominican Republic) is the low Latin (T3) after carding an opening round 7-under 64; also leads the field in birdies made (nine).
• Calgary native Brendan MacDougall (T7) is the low Canadian after an opening round 6-under 65.
• Hole No. 4, the 192-yard par 3, is playing as the toughest hole on the course through one round (+0.320 strokes over par).