Muise Conspires with the Wind | Professional Disc Golf Association

Leonard Muise, the renowned course designer, took a deliberate approach when reimagining the 18-hole layout at Swenson Park for the OTB Open. Rather than catering specifically to the skills of the world's best disc golfers, Muise had his sights set on creating a course that could stand the test of time and adapt to advancing player abilities.

Muise's vision resulted in a massive, nearly-12,000 ft. monster track, with the added challenge of unpredictable 20-25 MPH winds. The swirling gusts wreaked havoc on the FPO field, pushing even the top players to their limits.

Paige Pierce proved to be an exception, however. As the lone woman to finish under par after round one, she carded eight pars and a birdie on the front nine before encountering some turbulence on the back nine. A few close calls, including a missed approach shot on hole 10 that hit just shy of the painted line, prevented her from pulling away from the rest of the field.

Pierce attributed the challenges to the unpredictable winds: "There was a lot of adapting and improvising on every shot. It was a fun challenge – it's what keeps you on your toes." Despite some minor setbacks, she remained focused, crediting herself for not getting frustrated with her first overstroke of the round.

A tightly packed leaderboard has emerged, with Natalie Ryan sitting even par and the Mandujano sisters - Valerie and Alexis - as well as Holyn Handley, all tied at one-over. The MPO field is also closely contested, led by hometown hero Cody Kirkland, who showcased exceptional skill to take a two-throw lead.

Kirkland's round was punctuated by an electrifying 318 ft. throw-in on hole 17 and a clutch birdie on the final hole. He attributed his success to experience gained from playing on the local level: "I've been playing a lot over the last year, and I've gotten a lot better... Stepping it up to play with the best players in the world is definitely a different beast."

Kirkland will be joined by Matt Orum, Simon Lizotte, and Aaron Gossage on the lead card for round 2. Ricky Wysocki also put in an impressive performance despite struggling with pain and swelling in his left knee.

The OTB Open continues to unfold, with live coverage of round 2 set to begin Saturday at 9:30 a.m. on Discgolfnetwork.com.

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