Maple Hill Chaos: Windy Conditions Shake Up Tournament Leaders

The winds of chaos swept through Maple Hill on Saturday as the 2023 DGPT Playoff - MVP Open continued into its third round. The gusty conditions brought play to a halt for several hours, but it was worth the wait for Simon Lizotte and Hailey Scoggins, who found themselves tied for the lead at 16 strokes under par.

For Scoggins, Saturday's hot round was a testament to her determination and skill in the face of adversity. Starting seven strokes back from the lead, she produced an unofficially 1017-rated round, birdying the last two holes to finish at 3-under for the day. "It was very tough to throw normal shots and the putting was even worse," Scoggins said when asked about the windy conditions. But despite the challenges, Scoggins refused to back down, committing to difficult putts and giving her fans a thrilling show on hole 14.

Scoggins' performance earned her a spot alongside Lizotte, who has already proven himself capable of adapting to the wind. "I love playing in the wind because I've got the distance advantage," he said with a smile. "The more wind, the better." For the defending champion, it's not just about winning - it's also about maintaining momentum after taking home the top prize at the Discraft Great Lakes Open.

In contrast to Scoggins and Lizotte, Hailey King had a tougher time on Saturday, scoring 4-over despite showing signs of life on the back nine. However, as she pointed out in an interview, her experience in high-pressure situations has prepared her well for this moment. According to StatMando, King has held or shared the lead going into the final round of each of her six Elite Series and Major wins.

The FPO division's top five players are separated by just one stroke, with Kristin Tattar trailing Scoggins and Lizotte by a single shot. Meanwhile, in the MPO field, Calvin Heimburg found himself struggling on Saturday after the wind delay, but his skills from tee to green remain unchanged - he still leads the field with 6.94 strokes gained.

As play resumes Sunday, all eyes will be on the final round showdown at Maple Hill. With the top five players in both fields separated by just a few strokes, it's anyone's game for the taking.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/sunday-showdown-maple-hill