Hansen and Handley Rise to Challenge as Leaders Battle for Top Spot

The second round of the 2023 Throw Pink Women's Disc Golf Championship has come to a close, and what a day it was. The field broke new records with an impressive 223 birdies, 21 under-par scores, and a +0.53 average score, as reported by StatMando. While Eveliina Salonen and Henna Blomroos maintained their positions at the top of the leaderboard, Ella Hansen and Holyn Handley produced scorching hot rounds to catapult themselves onto the lead card.

Eveliina Salonen (-14) and Henna Blomroos (-12) are still firmly in contention going into the final two rounds of competition. However, Hansen's incredible performance on Friday has her just two strokes behind the leaders. The 10-under round she posted was a remarkable feat, with Hansen hitting six consecutive birdies from holes 5 to 10.

Hansen spoke about her experience from Round 1, where she went 3-over on the front nine. She reflected on making adjustments that ultimately paid off in Round 2, allowing her to shoot 8.69 strokes gained tee to green and achieve a 39% parked percentage. The turning point came at hole 18, where Hansen opted for a bold approach, sinking a 27-foot death putt to seal her double-digit score.

This breakthrough performance marked Hansen's first time shooting double digits on tour, surpassing her previous best of 9-under set during the Las Vegas Challenge in both 2023 and 2022. When asked about her decision-making process on that crucial hole, Hansen revealed her desire to reach double figures: "I don’t know if I’ve ever shot double digits so I really wanted to get back to 10 and it worked."

Holyn Handley also made a significant leap up the leaderboard with a flawless bogey-free 6-under performance. Notably, she became only the fifth player to achieve a bogey-free round at Winthrop during the TPWDGC.

As the competition heads into its final stages, Eveliina Salonen maintains her lead at 14-under, closely followed by Henna Blomroos at -12. Ella Hansen and Holyn Handley will join them on the lead card, poised to challenge for top spot in what promises to be an exhilarating conclusion to the championship.

Live coverage of Round 3 is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. ET on the Disc Golf Network, with active PDGA members eligible for a 50% discount on their DGN subscription. With multiple double-digit rounds already recorded and a tight leaderboard, anything can happen in the next two rounds of the 2023 Throw Pink Women's Championship.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/double-digit-derby