Barend Botha opened with a six-under-par 65 on Thursday, but it was only good enough for a share of 24th after the first round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Compliance Solutions Championship at the Patriot Golf Club in Owasso, Oklahoma.

Botha went bogey-free for his fine round, but found himself six strokes off the lead as yet another American player on the PGA Tour’s feeder circuit carded a 59. Davis Chatfield’s 12-under-par total included an eagle and 10 birdies. That gave him a two-stroke lead over fellow-countryman Travis Trace, China’s Zecheng Dou and Belgium’s Adrien Dumont de Chassart.

Christo Lamprecht also started well, but his five-under-par 66 left him languishing down in a share of 39th. However, he is projected to climb into the top 10 on the Korn Ferry Tour’s points list and looks like to win his PGA Tour card.

Botha was projected to climb into 59th from 61, and needs to keep plugging away.

MJ Daffue battled to a two-over-par 73 and was in 111th. He is pretty much out of the running for any chance at a PGA Tour card, down in 119th on the points list.