Flying Finns Take Off at European Championships | Professional Disc Golf Association
Date Published
**TITLE:** Finnish Disc Golfers Take Early Lead at European Championships
**META_TITLE:** Finland dominates opening round of 2016 European Disc Golf Championships
**META_DESCRIPTION:** The first day of competition in Oulu, Finland, saw Finland's Pasi Koivu and Eveliina Salonen take the lead in their respective divisions. Can Team Finland maintain their grip on the event as competitors from other nations close in?
The opening round of the 2016 European Championships has been dominated by Finnish disc golfers, who have taken early leads in several divisions at the Meri-Toppila DiscGolfPark in Oulu.
Pasi Koivu, competing in the Open division, shot a blistering score of 1070 rated at 61 to take first place, two throws ahead of Sweden's Tobias Johansson. Finishing in third position is hometown favorite Juho Parviainen, who trails Koivu by three strokes. Three Finnish players - Teemu Nissinen, Ilari Tuoma, and defending champion Seppo Paju - are tied for fourth place, rounding off the top six.
Meanwhile, in the Open Women's division, 16-year-old Eveliina Salonen has taken the lead with a stellar score of 980 rated at par 61. She carded six birdies to finish six throws ahead of Estonia's Kristin Taffar and one throw clear of Henna Blomroos from Finland.
In the Junior division, Finland's Mikael Hakala is currently second behind Mäkelä Väinö, who shot a 1021 rated round of 5 down 56 with seven birdies. The Junior scoreboard is dominated by Finnish players, with five competitors under par.
Sweden has taken an early lead in Masters, with Kristian Bengtsson shooting the highest score at -5. In Senior Grandmasters, Norway's Terje Rørmark shot a hot round of +4, while Continental European players have delivered strong performances in other age-based divisions.
As the competition heads into its second day, tomorrow's forecast is calling for rain and cooler temperatures. This may challenge Team Finland's grip on the event, allowing competitors from other nations to close the gap and seize the momentum.
Fans can follow all the action at www.edgc2016.com, which provides information, photos, and more. Sharing the event's online media resources will help promote the tournament and the sport.
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/flying-finns-take-european-championships