Disc Golf Championships Kick Off with Sizzling Scores in Missouri

The heat was on in more ways than one as the 2025 PDGA Amateur Disc Golf World Championships kicked off in Columbia, Missouri. The sizzling temperatures on Tuesday morning matched the scorching scores being posted by competitors on the course. Both the Men's Amateurs (MA1) and Female Amateurs (FA1) fields have their respective co-leaders tied at an impressive 11-under par after the first round.

The demanding tracks at Albert-Oakland Park for FA1 and Harmony Bends for MA1 proved to be a challenge, but also yielded some incredibly hot scores. In fact, both courses saw their leaderboards completely turned over on Tuesday, leaving fans with a thrilling sight of tight competition.

In the FA1 field, Therese Cuevas, who had already made a name for herself by winning both the Putting and Long Drive competitions over the weekend, is tied at the top along with Peyton Kohut. Both players carded impressive eagles on Tuesday, but it was Cuevas' ability to recover from her lone blemish - a double bogie on one of the holes - that truly stood out. Meanwhile, Kohut had an almost flawless round, checking in with a 952 rating.

Just behind the top duo are Brook Johnson and Yolanda Lolohea-Pauley of New Zealand, who are tied for third place just one stroke back. A total of seven players are within four strokes of the lead, setting up an exciting battle for supremacy throughout the tournament.

In MA1, Micah Thompkins set the early pace with his 11-under round, which came with a stellar 1036 rating and was capped off by a remarkable eagle three on the daunting Hole 18 at Harmony Bends. However, he wasn't alone in achieving this impressive score - Vaughn Bontrager also reached 11-under par, albeit with a minor miscue on his final hole.

Bradley Hendrick made an equally impressive statement with seven consecutive birdies and two more to follow, joining Thompkins and Bontrager at the top of the leaderboard. The logjam behind them is just as interesting, with five players tied for fourth place at 10-under par, including Noah Wetzel, who had a remarkable eagle three on the opening hole.

As the tournament shifts south to Jefferson City for Round 2, all eyes will be on FA1's showdown with Joseph C. Miller and MA1's battle against The Dam. Who will emerge victorious? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain - the action is already sizzling in Missouri!

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