Best Friend Battle: Hansen and Handley to Contend for Title | Professional Disc Golf Association

The 2024 OTB Open has reached its penultimate day, with an exciting showdown brewing in both the women's and men's divisions. In the women's field, two close friends have taken over at the top of the leaderboard after a dramatic turn of events on Saturday.

Kat Mertsch, who had been impressing all day with her precise play, made a crucial error when she hit an early tree and sent her next shot out of bounds, ultimately recording a disappointing triple bogey. This mishap opened up a four-shot gap between her and the leading duo, allowing Ella Hansen and Holyn Handley to seize control.

The friends-turned-competitors have been practicing together regularly on the Disc Golf Pro Tour and share a similar thought process when it comes to navigating the course. They're looking forward to an intense yet friendly battle for their first Elite Series win, with Hansen commenting, "It'll be interesting tomorrow... Definitely bringing some intense but friendly vibes."

Her partner echoed her sentiments: "Hopefully we both come out really hot and it's a battle all the way down to the finish." With their combined skills and camaraderie, they're setting themselves up for an unforgettable showdown on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the men's division, Gavin Rathbun has taken his first outright lead at an Elite Series event. He maintained his bogey-free performance from C1X, which earned him a perfect 8/8 scorecard. Rathbun turned in a stunning 10-under, taking a one-shot lead over Calvin Heimburg.

Heimburg, who won the Dynamic Discs Open last week and boasts 10 Elite Series titles, is looking strong heading into the final round. He'll be joined by Ezra Aderhold and Sullivan Tipton, both tied for third at 15-under. Paul McBeth, although not in contention for the lead, remains within striking distance on Sunday's chase card.

The Disc Golf Network will provide live coverage of championship Sunday, with FPO action commencing at 9:00am PT/12pm ET and MPO coverage starting at 2:30pm PT / 5:30pm ET.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/best-friend-battle-hansen-and-handley-contend-title