John Pak made history Thursday at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club, firing a career-low 11-under 61 to shatter the tournament's single-round scoring record and take the first-round lead at the Club Car Championship in Savannah, Georgia.
The 27-year-old's opening round bettered his previous career-best score by two strokes and broke the tournament record previously held by Julián Etulian, who shot 62 in the second round of the 2020 event.
Pak's remarkable round marks his first 18-hole lead in 44 career Korn Ferry Tour starts. His previous best opening position was a tie for second at the 2024 Compliance Solutions Championship, which he went on to win for his lone Korn Ferry Tour victory.
Trailing by one shot is Ian Gilligan, who posted a 10-under 62 in his own impressive debut. The recent Florida State graduate, who finished fourth in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2025, made seven of his 11 birdies on his back nine to establish a new career-high first-round position.
Sitting three shots back in a tie for third at 8-under are Kevin Velo and Hayden Springer. Velo, a Class of 2024 Korn Ferry Tour graduate and tour winner, opened with a 64 to record his first top-five position through 18 holes in an individual stroke play event since returning to the Korn Ferry Tour.
Five players share fifth place at 7-under: Noah Goodwin, Nick Gabrelcik, Brandon Wu, Mateo Chirravuri, and Taylor Montgomery.
Pak enters the week ranked 47th on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List with five made cuts in six starts this season. His best finish came at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard in Bogota, Colombia, where he tied for 12th.
The performance comes after a challenging rookie season on the PGA TOUR, where Pak finished 152nd in the 2025 FedExCup Fall standings. He earned his first PGA TOUR card by finishing 23rd on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, primarily on the strength of his victory at the Compliance Solutions Championship.
Pak has fond memories of The Landings Golf & Athletic Club, having finished third at the 2024 Club Car Championship for his only made cut in two previous tournament appearances.
With three rounds remaining, Pak will look to maintain his historic pace and capture his second Korn Ferry Tour victory. The tournament continues Friday with second-round action at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club.