Locastro Takes Early Lead at MVP Open with Stunning 8-Under Par Round

The first day of the MVP Open has seen little separation between the top 10 players, with a closely contested leaderboard emerging at Maple Hill Disc Golf Course. However, one player stands out from the pack: Nikko Locastro. The Missouri native has taken an early advantage after firing off an impressive 1073-rated, 8-under par 51 in his opening round.

Locastro's effort marked his highest rated round of the season so far, surpassing his trio of 1067-rated rounds at the Las Vegas Challenge PDGA National Tour kickoff earlier this year. The 25th-place finisher at Ledgestone just a week ago is clearly looking to change his fortunes with this strong start.

Notable players Nate Sexton and Paul McBeth found themselves in a second-place stalemate after starting the event with 6-under par 53s. Ledgestone Insurance Open Champion Sexton spoke about his round, stating that it was "pretty standard Maple Hill" for him. He attributed his success to making a few key putts, but said he didn't hit any particular shots that stood out.

Sexton also touched on the topic of his recent victory at Ledgestone, saying that the second time around felt different, and that the letdown after winning the US Dollar Golf Championship may have contributed to his emotions. However, it seems that the week off between events has helped him recover mentally.

On the front half of the course, several players made their mark with birdies on holes 1-9. Steve Brinster and Matt Dollar led the charge with five birdies in this section, while McBeth started strong with four consecutive birdies before cooling down. Calvin Heimburg, however, bucked this trend by finishing strong with a 4-under par run.

While scores are close at the top, there are some notable players who will need to step up their game if they want to compete for the title. Simon Lizotte, who was hoping to play with a home-field advantage, struggled on the front nine and slipped to 21st place alongside eight other competitors. Defending champion Ricky Wysocki and 2017 runner-up Eagle McMahon also had disappointing performances, finishing at 1-under par.

The lead card will tee off for moving day at 3:15 p.m. ET, with live coverage available on the Disc Golf Pro Tour's YouTube channel. Real-time scoring and stats can be accessed through UDisc Live.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/locastro-logs-season-best-showing-take-mvp-open-lead