Finley, King Set Pace at W.R. Jackson | Professional Disc Golf Association

**TITLE:** Finley Sets Pace as First Round Comes to Close at PDGA Champions Cup

**META_TITLE:** Holly Finley leads at PDGA Champions Cup | Day 1 Recap

**META_DESCRIPTION:** Find out who's in contention for the inaugural PDGA Major title, with leaders Holly Finley and Hailey King setting a high bar after day one of play. Read on to see how the top players are performing.

Holly Finley emerged as the early leader at the International Disc Golf Center's W.R. Jackson course during the first round of the 2022 PDGA Champions Cup presented by Bushnell. The event marked a new chapter for the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), and Finley set the tone with a standout performance.

Finley, one of the first players to tee off on Thursday, had a strong start, carding a 4-under score that held throughout the day. She credited her familiarity with the course, having played there since the Hall of Fame Classic. The heavily wooded track proved to be an ideal fit for Finley's skills, and she capitalized on it.

Finley's impressive round saw her record an impressive 67% fairway hit rate and a perfect scramble rate. Her putting game was equally strong, with a 100% conversion rate from circle 1x. She even sank three crucial putts from circle 2, including a notable 49-foot bogey save on hole 6.

Meanwhile, Hailey King made her return to competitive play after a hiatus since the DGPT-Las Vegas Challenge in February. Despite being out of action for a while, King showed no signs of rust, posting a solid 4-under score in her first event back.

King expressed her excitement about being back at the International Disc Golf Center, describing it as "a dream come true." She credited her experience playing with top-level competition, stating that it's always the best.

The leaderboard remains tightly packed after day one, with several players within striking distance of Finley and King. Eveliina Salonen continued her strong form from last week, while Kristin Tattar jumped onto the lead card with a spectacular 60-foot throw-in for eagle on hole 18.

Other notable players include Sarah Hokom and Alexis Mandujano at 2-under, Maria Oliva and Chloe Alice at 1-under, and Missy Gannon and Macie Velediaz also within reach of the top spots. In total, 14 players are within four strokes of the lead as they head into the second round.

The event will resume on Friday morning with live coverage available on the Disc Golf Network from 9:30 a.m. ET.

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