McBeth Leads but Dickerson Lurks as Championship Saturday Arrives

Championship Saturday has arrived at the Winthrop Arena in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and it's shaping up to be an exciting conclusion to the 2023 United States Disc Golf Championship. Paul McBeth, the five-time PDGA World Champion, took control of the lead on Friday after a stellar performance, which included cashing in four putts from Circle 2 and boasting a 95% fairway hit mark.

McBeth's impressive round saw him finish at 11-under par, clearing the second-hottest round by four strokes. His bogey-free performance was matched only by Paul Ulibarri, who jumped an impressive 43 spots into contention with a 7-under round. Kyle Klein also joined Ulibarri in sixth place after a strong finish that saw him jump 13 spots.

Chris Dickerson, the leader entering the third round, faced a setback on Friday when he stumbled near the turn with back-to-back bogies, allowing McBeth to take the outright lead. However, Dickerson rallied down the stretch, including a crucial birdie on his final hole, which pulled him within one stroke of McBeth.

Meanwhile, Drew Gibson continued his eventful journey in Rock Hill, finishing 6-under despite a challenging three-hole stretch that saw him collect a bogey and two double bogies. Despite struggling earlier in the round, Gibson finished strongly, going four down over the final five holes, but remains within striking distance of McBeth at 18-under.

Martin Hendel, another player who started on Friday's lead card, had a back-and-forth 4-under round that sees him tied with Dickerson at 17-under. Ricky Wysocki, chasing his first U.S. title, leads the chase card at 17-under par after a solid 3-under round on Friday. He now finds himself five strokes behind McBeth and one stroke ahead of Kyle Klein, Nate Sexton, and Joel Freeman.

As the action shifts to Saturday's live coverage, which begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on the Disc Golf Network, fans can expect an intense battle for the top spot. Will McBeth emerge victorious for his third USDGC title, or will Chris Dickerson make history by becoming the first player to go back-to-back since Ken Climo? The drama is far from over in Rock Hill.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/mcbeth-leads-dickerson-one-championship-saturday-arrives