Barsby and McBeth Clash in European Open Thriller

The second round of the 2017 European Open has reached its climax at the Beast course in Nokia, Finland, with some thrilling performances from top players. The Finnish crowds flocked to watch their favorite players in action, with an estimated 600-800 spectators following the top cards on the course.

In the FPO division, Catrina Allen (USA) maintained her lead throughout the day, despite a few wobbles early on. She started the day tied for first place with Henna Blomroos and Eveliina Salonen after both of them birdied the opening hole. However, Catrina quickly regained control, carding a lone birdie on the second hole to establish a one-stroke advantage over her Finnish rivals.

For the next eight holes, Allen, Blomroos, and Salonen engaged in a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse, with each player leapfrogging the others for second place. Catrina eventually managed to create some distance between herself and the chasing pair by scoring a birdie on the 203m long hole #10.

As the day progressed, Valarie Jenkins (USA) found herself under pressure in fourth place after carding three bogeys in a row from holes 11-13. This opened the door for Kristin Tattar (EST) and Hannele Määttä (FIN), who both played solid +8 rounds to bring themselves within striking distance of Val.

Meanwhile, in the Open division, Gregg Barsby (USA) continued his impressive form, extending his lead over defending champion Paul McBeth. The two players engaged in a thrilling battle for top spot, with Barsby producing an outstanding display on the back nine, carding eight birdies and one par to finish at -11.

McBeth's drive on hole 1 sailed deep, resulting in a par, while Barsby birdied the opening hole to establish a two-stroke buffer. However, McBeth narrowed the gap with a birdie on the third hole, only for Barsby to regain his lead by producing a series of exceptional approaches and putts.

On the back nine, Barsby was unstoppable, carding four consecutive birdies from holes 10-13. Although he did experience a minor setback on the downhill par 4 hole 15, he regrouped and played a smart par to minimize his losses.

The crowd watched in awe as Barsby made three of the final four birdies, with the gallery erupting every time he sank a putt. This display earned him a six-stroke advantage over McBeth, who remains at -16 for the event.

Other notable performances on day two included Eagle McMahon (USA), Seppo Paju (FIN), and Simon Lizotte (GER). McMahon carded nine consecutive birdies on the front nine but failed to maintain his momentum on the back nine. He eventually finished at -12, tying the course record shot by Paul McBeth and KJ Nybo in 2015.

Paju produced a bogey-free -10 round to move up the scoreboard, while Lizotte's impressive putting display earned him a spot in the lead card for tomorrow's play.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/barsby-keeps-dominating