Eagle McMahon Soars to Victory at Beaver State Fling

Eagle McMahon was on a mission to secure his third PDGA National Tour win of 2018 as he headed into the final stretch of Sunday's Beaver State Fling at Milo McIver State Park's Riverbend East Disc Golf Course. With a three-shot lead over his closest competitor, Paul Ulibarri, McMahon knew that all he had to do was maintain his momentum.

That momentum led him straight onto an island hole on the 12th fairway, where he launched a high hyzer with a Discmania PD disc. The shot grazed the asphalt moat and skipped towards the pole, setting off a thunderous roar from the rain-soaked gallery as McMahon tapped in his seventh birdie of the round.

The nail-biting moment gave McMahon a five-shot lead, which proved to be more than enough to secure his victory. His 8-under par 53 performance earned him not only his third PDGA National Tour triumph of 2018 but also his first career Beaver State Fling title.

McMahon's dominance was impressive, as he led the field by two shots with a total score of 31-under par 213. Ulibarri came close to catching up, but ultimately finished in second place with a 29-under par 215. Kevin Jones and Garrett Gurthie tied for third place with 27-under scores, while Scott Withers' impressive performance moved him up 10 spots to fifth place.

The victory marked an improvement on McMahon's third-place finish from the previous year, and he was visibly overcome with emotion as he dropped in his final putt. "This is probably my favorite tournament and one of my favorite places in the world," he said. "Knowing I'm going to have the memory of being a National Tour champion at one of my favorite places ever – that's something I'll think back on for a long time."

Paul Ulibarri, who put up an impressive fight, ultimately came up short in his bid for victory. Despite charging through the field and piling up five birdies on the front nine, he was unable to catch McMahon. "I tried to make it," Ulibarri said of his final shot. "That's what you have to do nowadays."

Garrett Gurthie also pushed hard in his bid for victory but ultimately ran out of gas. The Florida native had a strong performance but couldn't quite maintain the pace, eventually finishing with a third top 5 showing at an Elite Series event this year.

Scott Withers, on the other hand, proved to be one of the most consistent players throughout the tournament, punctuating his hot round with four putts from outside the circle. His impressive performance earned him second place in the field from beyond the arc and moved him up 10 spots to fifth place overall.

As for McMahon, he now has plenty of time to reflect on a season that has seen him rack up an impressive number of victories. "I'll take it," he said with a smile, beaming with pride over his latest achievement.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/mcmahon-pins-down-first-career-beaver-state-fling