Catrina Allen Storms Back to Lead at Ed Headrick Disc Golf Hall of Fame Classic

The drama unfolded on the W.R. Jackson Memorial Course in Appling, Georgia, where the second round of the Ed Headrick Disc Golf Hall of Fame Classic was taking place. Catrina Allen, defending champion, had been struggling to find her footing, but a crucial late-round flurry of scoring helped her maintain her lead.

On hole 7, while waiting for her playing partners to take their shots, Allen occupied herself by working on the USA Today crossword puzzle with her cardmates Elaine King, Paige Pierce, and Lisa Fajkus. The group debated the answer to a 10-letter word for "ladder company vehicle," eventually agreeing that it was indeed "fireengine." This lighthearted moment of levity was short-lived, as Allen's concentration was soon put to the test.

The defending champion faced some unexpected challenges on the course. On hole 7, she sprayed her second shot across the fairway, but recovered safely from the rough to save par. She then bogeyed two holes in a row before reaching the halfway mark. The turning point came when she lofted a high forehand on hole 13 that flared and skipped beyond the pin, forcing her to miss a high par save attempt.

However, this setback seemed to jolt Allen out of her mid-round funk. She proceeded to ratt off three consecutive birdies, which propelled her back to the top of the leaderboard with a 2-over-par 69. This round brought her total score on the International Disc Golf Center's W.R. Jackson Memorial Course to a 1-over-par 135.

Paige Pierce, Allen's closest competitor, matched her round score but remained in second place with a 4-over-par 138 total. Elaine King and Sarah Hokom rounded out the top four, each holding onto their positions with solid performances.

The Open Women's lead card will tee off for one final run through Jackson at 8:50 a.m. EST on Sunday, with instant scoring and statistics available via UDisc Live. With a three-stroke deficit to overcome, Pierce plans to dial back her aggressive play and opt for the higher-percentage route on the challenging holes.

Meanwhile, Allen appeared unfazed by the pressure, stating that she wants to "go out and execute my game plan on each hole" rather than focusing solely on winning. Her relaxed mindset from Saturday will likely carry over into Sunday's competition.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/allen-again-solves-jackson-hall-fame-classic-final