Masters Worlds Kicks Off with Drama and Upsets
Date Published
The 2022 PDGA Masters Disc Golf World Championships got underway on Tuesday with plenty of excitement and surprises. For JohnE McCray, it was a welcome return to major action after a heart attack in February left him unsure about his future in disc golf. "It's been very heartwarming to see everyone, to hear everyone cheering me on," he said, beaming with gratitude.
McCray's game face was firmly in place as he took on the challenging Eureka Temp course, where he led the MP50 field in birdie percentage with six on the 10,000-foot track. He carded a crucial birdie on hole 10 and showed glimpses of his trademark form, despite two blunders on holes 6 and 17.
McCray's impressive performance left him solo first place in the 64-player MP50 field at 1-under par, with defending champion Barry Schultz and Mike Moser hot on his heels. As he prepares to face new challenges on Wednesday's vastly different Northwood Black course, McCray advised: "Keep them in the fairway. And have fun."
In the FP40 division, defending champion Ohn Scoggins was making up for lost time after arriving late from a second-place finish at Idlewild. She stormed out of the gates with four birdies on her first five holes and finished atop the leaderboard with six birdies and just one bogey.
However, Scoggins' lead is slender, and she faces stiff competition from newcomers Holly Finley, Sarah Hokom, and Juliana Korver. Finley's ace on hole 8 set the tone for a spectacular debut, while Hokom and Korver are now just three and four strokes back, respectively.
A distinctly Floridian flavor has infused the championships so far, with five Sunshine State players leading their respective divisions: McCray (MP40), Sandy Gast (FP55), Pam Peinke (FP60), Erin Fitzpatrick (FA50), and Buz Ryalls-Chepane (MA70).
Meanwhile, Canadian talent Martin Hendel co-leads the MP40 division alongside Alan Wagner, while Chance Stad tops the MA40 leaderboard. Fredrik Granåsen of Sweden holds a one-stroke lead in MP55 over Mike Forton.
As the championships unfold, fans and competitors alike will be eagerly anticipating further drama and upsets on Wednesday's second day. With so many talented players vying for glory, anything can happen at Masters Worlds.
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/heartwarming-mccray-returns-strong