Finley and King Set the Pace at Inaugural PDGA Champions Cup

The highly anticipated 2022 PDGA Champions Cup presented by Bushnell kicked off in Appling, Georgia, with two standout performances from Holly Finley and Hailey King on Thursday. The duo set themselves apart from the rest of the field after completing their first round at W.R. Jackson, a challenging 9,299-foot track with dense woods.

Holly Finley's love affair with the course began years ago when she first competed in the Hall of Fame Classic. When the PDGA announced the new Major event, Finley knew this was her chance to shine on a course that suited her playing style perfectly. Her opening round was nothing short of impressive as she carded a 4-under score. Finley's precision on the green was evident, with an astonishing 100% success rate from C1X and only three putts from circle 2.

Finley's lead was matched by Hailey King, who made her return to competition after a brief hiatus following February's DGPT-Las Vegas Challenge. Despite being back in action, King appeared unfazed, displaying her usual poise on the course. Her steady round included just one bogey and featured impressive statistics from off the tee, where she hit 76% of fairways.

Eveliina Salonen continued to demonstrate her strong form, leading several driving categories while struggling slightly on the green. However, she remains a force to be reckoned with, sitting one stroke behind Finley and King. Kristin Tattar jumped onto the lead card after sinking an impressive 60-foot throw-in for eagle on hole 18.

The leaderboard is densely populated with talented players vying for the first major title of the year. In total, 14 golfers are within four strokes of the lead as they navigate the remaining 54 holes of competition. With their sights set on the top prize, fans can tune in to live coverage on the Disc Golf Network starting at 9:30 a.m. ET.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Holly Finley was 100% from C1x during her opening round at the 2022 PDGA Champions Cup. Photo: Kevin Huver / DGPT

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This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/finley-king-set-pace-wr-jackson