NASSAU, The Bahamas – Louisville native J.M. Bulter made a splash in his first career round on the Korn Ferry Tour on Sunday, carding a 10-under par 62 to tie for the lead when opening-round action of the the Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island was suspended due to darkness.

The completion of first-round play at the Ocean Club Golf Course will be take place Monday before the second 18 holes begin later in the morning. The Golf Channel will air live coverage of the event Monday from 2-5 p.m. ET. Live scoring of the event is available on the Korn Ferry Tour website at https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/leaderboard.

“I played really solid today,” Bulter said. “I hit a lot of good shots and made a lot of really good putts, just played steady. The putter was feeling nice out there and not a lot of wind. I was able to take advantage of the soft conditions and make a bunch of birdies.”

Butler’s bogey-free round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-4 ninth hole.

“I hit a 3-wood down there and had about 117 yards in (the hole) and hit a gap wedge that landed about four or five feet behind the hole and spun in,” Butler said. “That was nice.”

Butler’s round also included eight birdies and nine par scores.

A former Trinity High School alum and Auburn star, Butler turned pro in 2024 after helping lead the Tigers to the NCAA golf championship. He earned exemption status on the Korn Ferry Tour after finishing among the top 10 point scorers on the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas List. Last season on the PGA TOUR Americas , Butler posted six top-25 finishes, highlighted by winning the Bupa Championship in Mexico City, Mexico.

Butler is tied with Justin Suh, who registered a matching 10-under 62 on Sunday. Suh surged on the back nine of his round, posting birdies on seven of his last eight holes.

The four-day opening event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season features a field of 132 players competing for a $1 million purse. The top-20 players on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List will earn 2027 PGA TOUR membership, with the season-long standings finalized after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by Virginia’s Richmond Region in mid-October.

Tournament rounds begin each day at sunrise, 6:50 a.m. ET. Prior to the cut being made, action will conclude the first two days at dusk, approximately 5:40 p.m. ET. Final-round play should conclude at approximately 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, with a trophy presentation to follow on the 18th green.

The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island is one of 10 featured events on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season televised by the Golf Channel. The network will provide three hours of live coverage during each round with daily replays in prime-time windows. The television schedule follows:

• Monday. Jan. 19 – 2-5 p.m. ET
• Tuesday, Jan. 20 – 2-5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 21 – 1-4 p.m.

This week’s event features a competitive field including 12 PGA TOUR winners, collecting 26 total wins and 53 Korn Ferry Tour winners, achieving 79 total KFT wins. The last three winners of the opening event of the Korn Ferry Tour season have gone on to earn their PGA TOUR Card at the conclusion of the season.