Aaron Gossage completed with a pair of birdies to seize a one-shot lead in MPO. Photograph: DGPT
Spherical 2 of the 2023 OTB Open noticed much more new data in a season filled with record-breaking rounds. Whereas the FPO discipline lastly obtained some rating separation, the MPO leaderboard fully reshuffled.
Pierce will get Fierce
Paige Pierce scorched the Swenson Park course on Saturday. Photograph: DGPT
Day two of the 2023 OTB Open began with a four-person tie on the prime of the FPO discipline, however by the tip of the spherical, one participant managed to drag forward and set a report within the course of.
“There was quite a lot of emotion on the course at the moment, I simply was actually amped,” stated Paige Pierce, who began Spherical 2 tied for first at seven strokes beneath par.
Pierce went on to attain 12 birdies and was the one participant within the FPO discipline to keep away from taking a single bogey in Spherical 2. Even after scoring the new spherical on day 1, Pierce was keen to vary up her disc choice to attain the new spherical once more on day 2.
“Match energy was actual,” Pierce stated after her back-to-back sizzling rounds, “I used to be crusing previous some baskets, altering gameplans, and clubbing down and with the ability to hit it more durable.”
Of her 12 birdies on the day, 10 got here from Holes 4-13. In response to StatMando, Pierce’s 10-straight birdies at the moment is the longest birdie streak we’ve got on report (2021-present) in a Main, Elite, or Silver spherical.
The defending OTB champ’s record-breaking spherical featured some spectacular placing as Pierce maintained 100% C1X Placing and three circle 2 makes.
“The putter simply felt so good at the moment, I actually didn’t see my putter hit the bottom till two thirds of the best way via the spherical,” Pierce stated in a post-round interview.
After beginning her spherical with a profitable circle 2 putt, Pierce was keen to run extra lengthy putts, all the time assured that she might make a prolonged comebacker to maintain her bogey-free spherical going.
Pierce will go into the ultimate spherical with a four-stroke lead over Ella Hansen, who shot 8-under on day 2. Hansen was near profitable her first Elite Sequence occasion earlier this season on the Waco Annual Charity Open the place she misplaced to Kristin Tattar after a two-stroke swing on the ultimate gap of the match.
“It’s a troublesome steadiness for me, I really feel like I’ve struggled after I take into consideration what different persons are doing,” Hansen stated when requested if she plans to chase down Pierce within the last spherical, “I feel for essentially the most half, I play higher after I’m making an attempt to play my sport, so clearly I’ll attempt to win tomorrow.”
The ultimate spherical lead card will function the identical 4 gamers because the Spherical 2 lead card as Ohn Scoggins and Emily Seashore be part of Pierce and Hansen. As an alternative of a four-way tie, nevertheless, they are going to begin off the spherical with 9 strokes separating 1st and 4th place. Pierce has received the OTB Open two years in a row since its begin in 2021. With a large lead on the sphere, it’ll take only one extra strong spherical to go three for 3 on the 2023 OTB Open.
Lead Card Shake Up
Whereas the FPO division will see the identical 4 gamers on the Spherical 2 and last spherical lead playing cards, the MPO leaderboard modified drastically on Shifting Day. When the mud lastly settled, Aaron Gossage got here out on prime at 17 strokes beneath par after capturing 9-under.
Gossage has performed effectively at Swenson Park up to now, putting seventh within the 2021 OTB and third final 12 months. Specifically, Gossage’s efficiency off the tee has put him in place to attain, ending Spherical 2 with 90% fairway hits and 5.50 strokes gained tee to inexperienced in keeping with UDisc.
When requested about his plan for Championship Sunday, Gossage stated, “The driving is the place I’m excelling on this course so if I simply maintain placing my drives close to the basket, give myself loads of alternatives, I do know that I’ll rating effectively out right here.”
Whereas Gossage hasn’t scored the new spherical in both of the primary two days, his consistency has as soon as once more put him inside placing distance of the win.
The final time Gossage led an Elite Sequence or Main was within the 2022 Disc Golf World Championships wherein he held the lead as much as the tip, ultimately going right into a playoff towards Paul McBeth.
When requested about as soon as once more main a DGPT match, Gossage stated, “I’ve been on this place earlier than so I do know what it’s like, what the nerves are.”
Emerson Keith and Cole Redalen completed Spherical 2 proper behind Gossage at 16 strokes beneath par. Keith not solely shot the new spherical on Shifting Day, however set the course report at 12-under. Keith began the spherical with an enormous birdie putt and by no means let his foot off the gasoline pedal, scoring six birdies on the entrance 9 and 6 extra on the again 9. After sinking his final birdie putt, Keith had jumped up 21 locations to safe his place on the ultimate spherical lead card.
Emerson Keith made the soar to 2nd place with a lights-out 12-under efficiency on Saturday. Photograph: DGPT
Regardless of a sluggish begin, Redalen went on to attain 7-under after as soon as once more birdieing the difficult last three holes of the course. Redalen would be the solely participant from his card to remain on the lead card going into the ultimate spherical.
Rounding out the lead card is Jakub Semerád, who’s presently tied with Isaac Robinson at 15-under. In response to StatMando, that is the primary time in DGPT Elite historical past that the MPO last spherical lead card has zero mixed earlier Elite/Main wins.
The 2023 season has been filled with upsets and surprises. Whether or not it’s a first-time Elite Sequence winner or one other chase card winner, we will count on one other thrilling end within the 2023 OTB Open introduced by MVP Disc Sports activities.
