For the second week in a row, 4-time World Champion Paul McBeth, won in dramatic and convincing fashion. Last week McBeth charged into the lead early and eventually won by 12-shots at the Ledgestone Insurance Open, part of the Disc Golf Pro Tour. This weekend the 2016 National Tour concluded at the 20th Annual Brent Hambrick Memorial Open in Ohio. Current World Champion, Ricky Wysocki was the Hambrick leader after two rounds. McBeth however, was just 3-shots back heading into Sunday’s final rounds.
McBeth started Sunday off slowly, falling 5-shots back of Wysocki through the opening 4 holes. But beginning on Hole 5 (of a 27-hole layout) McBeth rattled off 15 birdies, 6 pars, and a bogey in route to a blistering round of 66 that vaulted him into the tournament lead. Paul carded 5 birdies and 4 pars in the Final 9 to extend his winning margin to 11-shots over Wysocki. Teammates Nate Sexton, Bradley Williams, and Gregg Barsby, also landed impressive top 10 finishes.
Hall of Famer Johnny Sias was victorious at the Hambrick as well. Sias held a 1-shot lead after round one but then pulled away in rounds two and three to win the Grandmasters division by a total of 8-shots. The Huntington, WV native boasts an incredible competitive resume. Sias is the 1986 Open World Champion, 1987 World Cup Champion, 2012 Grandmasters World Champion, 2013 Sr. Grandmaster World Champion, the first inductee into the WV Disc Golf Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the PDGA Disc Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. Sias continues to compete at an extremely high level.
Four-time Open Women’s World Champion, Valarie Jenkins, lead the way for Team Innova in the Open Women’s division. Val finished in 3rd place and was joined by Madison Walker, Sara Lamberson, and Melodie Bailey who all finished inside the top 10. The next big stops for the top ladies are The Green Mountain Championships at Smuggler’s Notch Resort and the US Women’s Disc Golf Championship. Be sure to check out the Official PDGA website for all the latest news and tournament action.
See you on the course!
