Finnish Phenoms Fuel Fierce Battle at Disc Golf Championships

The excitement is building at the 2019 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships as Finnish phenoms Eveliina Salonen and Henna Blomroos continue to make their mark on the course. Salonen, just 19 years old, has regained her position at the top of the leaderboard after a stunning comeback in round three.

Salonen's confidence was boosted by her familiarity with Northwood, which reminded her of her home course back in Finland. Despite struggling in the previous round, she was determined to improve and make up for lost ground. "Yesterday was tough," Salonen admitted, "but I like this course. Today it wasn't perfect, but yeah - it was OK."

The battle between Salonen and defending leader Catrina Allen was intense throughout the morning at Northwood. With just one hole left to play, Salonen trailed by two strokes before Allen's mistake on 18 handed her an unexpected opportunity. A surgical birdie put Salonen firmly back in contention, and a three-stroke swing had her reclaiming the top spot.

Blomroos, also from Finland, was hot on Salonen's heels with a score of 59, moving her into fourth place in the process. Her close friend and rival is thrilled to be playing alongside her tomorrow, something that Blomroos believes will only add to their motivation.

"I love playing with Eveliina," Blomroos exclaimed. "And Paige and Catrina too. It's an amazing card tomorrow." With two rounds left to play, the tension is palpable as the top players gear up for a thrilling conclusion to the championships.

Meanwhile, Paige Pierce is well aware that she needs to step up her game if she wants to stay in contention. With Allen just five throws ahead and Salonen six back, Pierce knows that tomorrow's score will be crucial. "I need to shoot 10 under or I won't be happy," she declared. "It's moving day, and I need to make up strokes - not maintain."

Pierce's strategy is clear: stick her drives on the green and minimize putts. If she can achieve this, she'll have a good chance of joining the likes of Elaine King and Juliana Korver as one of only three players in PDGA history with five world championship titles in the Open Women's division.

The competition may be fierce, but there are still plenty of opportunities for Sarah Hokom, Rebecca Cox, and Valerie Mandujano to turn their fortunes around. With eight, nine, 10, and 11 strokes off the lead respectively, they'll need to put in a stellar performance tomorrow if they want to stay in contention.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Eveliina Salonen powered her way back to the top of the leaderboard during round 3 of the 2019 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships. Photo: Alyssa Van Lanen

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