Nate Doss Sets Sizzling Pace at Vibram Open

The first day of the highly anticipated Vibram Open has come to an end, and reigning World Champion Nate Doss is sitting comfortably at the top of the leaderboard with a scorching 7-under-par score of 53. The Maple Hill Disc Golf Course in Leicester, Mass, proved to be a challenging venue for the players, but Doss's exceptional skills on the course have given him a solid lead.

Doss's impressive performance was marked by eight birdies and just one bogey throughout his round. He credits his success to making crucial putts from long distances, which not only boosted his confidence but also enabled him to feed off the momentum. Reflecting on his day, Doss expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating that he felt "pretty much everything" was going well.

Defending champion Nikko Locastro struggled on two holes, recording a double-bogey on No. 12 and a bogey on No. 18. However, despite these setbacks, he still managed to finish a stroke behind Doss with a score of 54. Locastro's strong play on the front nine earned him four under-par, but his struggles on the back nine ultimately cost him the top spot.

Geoff Bennett also made an impressive recovery from a rocky start, overcoming three out-of-bounds incidents in the first nine holes to finish with a respectable 54. Dave Feldberg, last year's National Tour champion, nearly let his round slip away after a double-bogey on the long 12th hole. Nevertheless, he showed remarkable resilience by birdying the final six holes and remaining firmly in contention.

Other notable players, including Will Schusterick, Bradley Williams, and Richard Wysocki, each shot 55 to trail Doss by two strokes. Paul Ulibarri rounded out the day with a score of 56.

Meanwhile, on the women's side, Sarah Stanhope took the lead after shooting a 6-over-par 66. With her predominantly sidearm technique proving effective on this accuracy-driven course, she maintained a one-stroke advantage over Sarah Hokum and Catrina Allen. Despite expressing dissatisfaction with certain aspects of her game, Stanhope acknowledged that she had room for improvement.

The competition resumes tomorrow at Maple Hill Disc Golf Course, with the men's leaders teeing off at 12:50 p.m. and the women's leaders at 1:50 p.m.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/doss-leads-2011-vibram-open