Paige Pierce Overcomes Meltdown to Win Spartan Mowers Jonesboro Open

Paige Pierce had already suffered through two disappointing rounds at the Spartan Mowers Jonesboro Open. But on Sunday, she bucked the trend with a stellar 3-under par 61 to win the event by two strokes over Sarah Hokom. The victory marked Pierce's eighth of the season and third on the Disc Golf Pro Tour.

Pierce's final round was anything but smooth sailing. After 11 holes, she and Hokom were tied at 2-under par. However, Pierce took control with a pair of birdies over the next four holes, while Hokom struggled with a double bogey. This marked the third consecutive round where Pierce carried a multiple-stroke lead into hole 16.

In a surprising twist, Pierce had been preparing for this moment all week. She had spent an hour on Saturday practicing her tee shot on hole 3 after taking a triple bogey in the previous round. Despite feeling more confident about the shot, she still managed to hit it wide and low on Sunday, leaving her 80 feet from the pin.

Feeling frustrated, Pierce then laid up before hitting OB water. But she quickly regrouped and made an uphill 40-foot putt to save her bogey. Hokom, meanwhile, was left with a birdie putt that sailed just past the circle.

With Pierce's lead down to one stroke after hole 17, both players carded birdies on the par-5 final hole. However, Pierce's approach from the fairway gave her more distance, setting up a tap-in birdie for the win.

Pierce was complimentary of the challenging course and praised Hokom's consistent play throughout the tournament. The win extended her lead in the Pro Tour points standings by nearly 30 points. Next up for Pierce is the Texas Women's Championship in Leander, Texas, followed by the Glass Blown Open on the PDGA National Tour.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/pierce-comes-back-jonesboro-open-win