Holyn Handley Leads Dynamic Discs Open After Scorching First Round

The 2023 Dynamic Discs Open got off to a sizzling start at the Emporia Country Club, with players taking full advantage of the near-perfect weather and minimal wind. In contrast to last year's challenging conditions, the fields for both the Women's Professional (FPO) and Men's Professional (MPO) divisions were treated to some of the most favorable conditions of the season.

For the FPO field, a few tweaks to the course presented new challenges and opportunities for scoring. Despite averaging 2.25 strokes over par, four players managed to finish the round with an impressive birdie rate of at least 50%. At the top of the leaderboard was Holyn Handley, who carded nine birdies and just two bogeys to take a one-stroke lead into Round 2.

Handley's opening-round score of seven strokes under par was a testament to her ability to maintain focus despite a slow start. "I had a pretty slow beginning," she admitted after the round. "But because I stayed in the right headspace, I was able to bounce back and have a strong finish." Handley's momentum picked up on the back nine, where she birdied three consecutive holes (14-16) and finished with one final birdie on the 18th.

Handley's hot start has set her up for a challenging day of golf as the remaining players look to close the gap. Ella Hansen sits just one stroke behind Handley in second place, while Kristin Tattar and Missy Gannon are tied at five-under par. With such a tight leaderboard, it will be fascinating to see how these players navigate the course over the next two rounds.

In the MPO division, Calvin Heimburg took advantage of the favorable conditions to shoot an impressive 11 strokes under par. Heimburg's stellar performance off the tee allowed him to take his only bogey on Hole 2 and then go on a hot streak from Holes 4-8, where he birdied five consecutive holes.

"It was a great day for me," Heimburg said of his round. "I threw the disc well, but didn't make many putts. I was fortunate to have some short putts that fell my way." Heimburg's longest putt of the day was a 27-foot birdie on the island green of Hole 16.

The MPO field is currently locked in a tight leaderboard with eight players tied for second at 10 strokes under par. Matthew Orum and Gannon Buhr were among those who managed to reach this mark without taking a single bogey, but even in perfect conditions, a single mistake can be costly.

With two more rounds remaining, the competition is sure to heat up as these talented golfers battle it out for the top spot at the Dynamic Discs Open. Will Handley and Heimburg maintain their leads, or will the field catch up? The next 48 hours of golf will provide plenty of excitement and drama.

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