Catrina Allen Takes the Lead at Ed Headrick Disc Golf Hall of Fame Classic

Catrina Allen has proven herself to be a worthy competitor at the event named after disc golf's founder, Ed Headrick, as she emerged as the leader after the first day of the Ed Headrick Disc Golf Hall of Fame Classic. Despite opening both the front and back nine with bogeys, Allen maintained her composure and notched 10 birdies on her way to an impressive 8-under par 56.

Melody Waibel was one stroke ahead of Sarah Hokom in second place after carding a clean sheet with a 7-under par 57 performance. Hokom herself had a strong start, going 6-under par on the front nine and showing off her skills on a particularly tricky hole. However, she encountered some difficulties down the stretch, ultimately landing in third place.

Ellen Widboom secured fourth spot after shooting a 5-under par 59, while Elaine King and Lisa Fajkus are tied for fifth after matching 4-under par 60s.

Allen's journey to the top was not without its challenges. She began the round with a bogey on the second hole, but quickly made up for it with a birdie on the third hole before rattling off four more on the front nine. Although she stumbled again on the tenth hole, Allen showed her resilience and continued to accumulate birdies throughout the day.

In an interview, Allen expressed her focus on maintaining a steady mindset: "I just tried to not do anything too crazy, you know? Just play smart and go for the putts I think I can make."

Waibel, who has been on a hot streak in recent events, credited her success to a calm and collected approach. "It was kinda the same vibe as I had today — I was just trying to not do anything stupid," she said with a smile. "Not go for putts I think I can't make...I think it was more mental."

Sarah Hokom, who had a strong start but faltered down the stretch, attributed her mistakes to making some "mental errors." However, she remains optimistic about her chances in the upcoming rounds.

As the field heads to the W.R. Jackson Memorial Course for today's and tomorrow's rounds, the competition is set to become even fiercer. Hokom expressed her confidence in her game, citing improvements in fairway turnover shots and backhand upshots. "I feel like I know the course really well," she said. "I've made some changes in my game plan from Worlds, so I'm feeling more confident than ever."

Waibel is also looking forward to playing with her friend and touring partner Hokom on today's lead card. With a positive attitude and a focus on retaining her strengths, Waibel is poised to challenge Allen for the top spot.

The women will tee off at 11:50 a.m. local time, with real-time scoring available via PDGA Live.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/hofc/fpo-round-1-recap