Round One Recap
Only one day into the 2023 PDGA World Championships and the players are already being tested on their mental resilience. Heavy rainfall made for a day of bad grip and muddy run-ups. Thunder in the afternoon led to a weather delay that ultimately pushed the final holes of the top MPO cards to Thursday.
As much as we usually wish for good weather all week, Day One’s bad conditions tested skills that not every tournament can test. Adjusting game plan, keeping discs and your hand dry, and playing with the uncertainty of weather delays are all practiced abilities. Given that the weather report for the rest of the week looks excellent, in many ways the first day’s bad weather was a good thing; it means our 2023 World Champions will be challenged not only by multiple course types, but also in multiple conditions.
Photo by DGPT
Team Innova FPO Highlights
Kat Mertsch
Kat Mertsch was on the first card into the clubhouse yesterday, shooting a -4 that put major pressure on the rest of the field. That round held up all day, as conditions only worsened, to land Kat on the lead card for Day Two of Worlds. So far, she has not missed any inside-the-circle putts. She leads the field in Birdie rate and Parked percentage. Kat had her first Silver win and first Elite win this year already. With the way she came out on Day One, her first Major win might be close behind.
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Eveliina Salonen
Eveliina is back in the states for the first time since Jonesboro and she looks in top form. She shot a -1 in the first round to earn a spot on the third card. She leads the field in C1 Hits in Regulation.
Jen Allen
Jen Allen shot an even par first round with four birdies and four bogeys. They say you can’t win it on day one, but you can lose it. Given the on-and-off, torrential downpour the athletes had to handle, Jen did her job to stay in the mix despite the bad conditions.
Henna Blomroos
Henna Blomroos also shot even par in the first round. She’s 7th in the field in Strokes Gained Tee to Green. For power players like Henna, surviving Brewster Ridge was the first step. Now she will have a chance to shred the more open, Fox Run.
Team Innova MPO Highlights
Nathan Queen
After over nine months of hardly being able to throw due to elbow injury, Nathan Queen is back! Known for his skills in the woods, Nathan shot an excellent -8 yesterday to finish the round in a tie for 13th. He was a highlight machine on the putting green, sinking a 60-footer, a low-ceiling 40-footer, and one of the best shots of the tournament so far, a 130-foot throw-in on the challenging Hole 15. Nathan said he knew he could play well at Brewster Ridge and is happy to be back to executing at such a high level on the course. Fox Run, a course which favors right-handed, back-hand players, will be the next challenge Nathan has to overcome if he wants to make a run at this World title.
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Joel Freeman
Joel Freeman looked cool and collected, even with the muddy conditions and uncertainty of a weather delay. He also shot a -8, landing him in a large pool of players just a few strokes off of the lead. With his huge power and dialed backhand, Joel’s game shapes well for Fox Run.
Calvin Heimburg
Calvin Heimburg started his tournament off by hitting the band with his drive on Hole 1. Sadly that momentum got interrupted by a multi-hour weather delay which started before the Lead card even made it to Hole 2. On his first hole back from the break, Calvin took an unfortunate double bogey. He proceeded to fight his way back to a -6 for the round and sits just a few strokes behind the leaders. With four rounds left to play and Calvin’s propensity to pick things up later in the event, he is still well-positioned to take down this World Championships.
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Randon Latta
Randon Latta made a big push from the B pool yesterday. He shot a -8 at Fox Run, just two strokes off the hot round for the day. Randan has been one of Innova’s biggest up-and-comers of the past two years. If he can put together a solid finish at this year’s Worlds, that will be a big statement to say, “Randon Latta is here to stay”.
A-Pool Heads to Fox Run
Round Two of the 2023 PDGA World Championships will take place Thursday, August 31st with the A-pool players switching to the Fox Run course. Catch the action live on the Disc Golf Network. Visit Innovadiscs.com for a daily Team Recap.
