Conrad Breaks Course Record as FPO Field Faces Tight Competition

The 2023 Play It Again Sports Jonesboro Open presented by Prodigy reached its midpoint on Friday, and what a day it was! James Conrad made history at Disc Side of Heaven, breaking the course record with an incredible 17-under-par round. The 2021 PDGA World Champion was on fire, scoring 15 birdies and an eagle in the process.

Conrad's performance was nothing short of spectacular. He executed his gameplan flawlessly on most holes, but still got a little help from the course. His approach shot on Hole 16 clipped a tree, yet continued tracking towards the basket, resulting in an eagle. And when he found himself pinched off after his drive on Hole 18, Conrad's approach shot fought through the branches to give him a final Circle 2 putt for one last birdie.

The crowd was wowed as Conrad sank the 40-foot putt, running it in with ease. This historic round has tentatively been rated 1103, which could make it the first 1100-plus rated round at a DGPT event since Garrett Gurthie's 1101-rated round at the 2019 MVP Open.

While Conrad was breaking records on the MPO side, the FPO field was engaged in a tight battle for the top spot. Kat Mertsch, an Arkansas native, rose to the top of the leaderboard after shooting seven-under-par in Round 2. She now leads the field at 17 strokes under par, with Aria Castruita just one stroke behind.

Castruita, who was making her first appearance on the lead card, played calmly and collectedly to keep her spot at solo second place. "I'm not really nervous; I'm just having fun being on the top card finally," she said when asked if she was feeling pressure.

Missy Gannon scored eight-under-par in Round 2, earning her a third-place spot at 15 strokes under par. Hailey King rounds out the lead card after a rough second day, but she bounced back with five birdies on the back nine.

The final round promises to be another nail-biter for the FPO field, with only three strokes separating the top four players. Championship Sunday could bring windy conditions back to Disc Side of Heaven, which would add an extra layer of difficulty for the remaining contenders.

In a separate development, Eagle McMahon and Calvin Heimburg are currently tied for first place in the MPO division, each shooting bogey-free 13-under-par rounds two days in a row. They attributed their success to the calm conditions, but warned that the wind could pick up and make things more challenging on Sunday.

As the stage is set for an exciting finale, fans can catch all the action live on the Disc Golf Network. Active PDGA members receive a 50% discount on their DGN subscription, so be sure to take advantage of this offer!

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/one-record-books