Hokom Takes Lead, Pierce Bounces Back in HOFC

The winds of change swept through the Ed Headrick Disc Golf Hall of Fame Classic (HOFC) as Sarah Hokom emerged as the new leader after day one. With a stellar 2-under par 65 on the notoriously difficult WR Jackson Memorial DGC, Hokom has set the bar high for the remaining competitors. The course, known for its challenging layout and treacherous fairways, has always been a testing ground for even the most skilled players.

In fact, only a few have managed to shoot under-par rounds on this course in recent years. Catrina Allen's 1-under par 66 during the 2018 HOFC is one such example. This year, Hokom has joined an elite group of women who have accomplished this feat.

But it wasn't just Hokom who turned heads on day one. Holly Finley made a remarkable jump up the leaderboard by embracing a more conservative approach to playing the course. By focusing on pars rather than trying to grab birdies, Finley climbed from fourth place to fourth overall, finishing the round with one bogey and two birdies.

Finley's strategy was inspired by Paige Pierce, who has always been known for her ability to par the most challenging holes. However, even Pierce encountered a setback on hole 15 when she hit her driver into a tree and suffered a seven on the 540-foot par four. Her usually reliable putter let her down on this occasion, missing an eight-foot putt to save double bogey.

Despite this mishap, Pierce recovered well with a quick two-stroke swing on hole 17. She now finds herself two strokes behind Hokom going into the final round. Finley and Jessica Weese are hot on their heels, sitting nine and 11 strokes off the lead respectively.

Pierce remains confident that she can shoot better tomorrow and bridge the gap between her and Hokom. "I know I'll shoot better than that tomorrow," Pierce said. "So, we'll just see how it compares to Sarah. She's playing this course super well and it's really fun to watch."

The 2019 PDGA National Tour will come to a close tomorrow evening with the Open Women's lead card teeing off at 9:00 a.m. EDT followed by the Open lead card at 1:00 p.m. Fans can follow the scores and stats on UDiscLive.com, while The Disc Golf Guy and JomezPro will provide round coverage videos on YouTube.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/2019hofc/news/fpo-round-two-recap