By Jeremy Harness

Brendan Steele grabbed the early lead in this week’s Frys.com Open at Silverado by firing a 65, which was good enough for a one-shot advantage over Jhonattan Vegas.

His round featured nine birdies and zero bogeys and really kicked it into high gear on the back nine. He recorded back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth holes to get things started, and then got two more in a row at the 11th and 12th.

After a par at the par-4 13th, Steele closed out the round by stringing together five consecutive birdies to send a statement to the rest of the field.

Vegas, meanwhile, had previously been on the PGA Tour but had to earn his card back by finishing in the top 25 on the Web.com Tour this past season.

He himself got off to a very good start on the front nine, making a birdie on the very first hole, and then seizing control for the moment with an eagle at the par-5 fifth.

He recorded five birdies on the back nine, but a poor iron shot at the par-4 14th led to a bogey that ultimately cost Vegas at least a share of the lead.

No matter what transpires the next few days, this tournament is guaranteed to have a new champion. Sang-moon Bae, who won last year’s tournament by going 15-under par, is currently serving in the military in his native South Korea after representing the international team in this year’s President’s Cup, which was also held in South Korea.

Rory McIlroy, who is quite familiar with being in the winner’s circle in Northern California after winning the Cadillac Match Play Championship at San Francisco’s Harding Park last season, is in the hunt but did not finish the way that Steele and Vegas did.

He finished the front nine a three-under, but thanks to a bogey at the 13th, he picked up only one shot on the back side and finished with a four-under 68 to go into the second day of the tournament three strokes back.