Paige Pierce Stuns Catrina Allen to Win Vibram Open Championship

For the fourth consecutive day, the competition at the 2016 Vibram Open was intense, with the Open Women's division facing near-perfect weather conditions at Maple Hill. After two days of dominance, Sarah Hokom saw her lead slip away as Catrina Allen and Paige Pierce surged forward to challenge for the title.

As is often the case in high-stakes tournaments, the field quickly narrowed to a two-horse race between Paige and Catrina. Despite starting the round one stroke off the lead, an early stumble by Hokom removed her from contention. By the end of the front nine, both Paige and Catrina were tied, setting up a thrilling showdown for the championship.

On Hole 8, Paige made a remarkable birdie putt from a knee, showcasing her impressive skill under pressure. The "Paige and Cat Show" continued as they battled it out on the back half of the course, with another close contest emerging between Val and Sarah for third place.

A dramatic turn of events came on Hole 12 when Paige took solo lead with a birdie. She then quickly teed off on the challenging downhill par 3 at Hole 13, parking her drive inside 10 feet. Catrina was frustrated as her drive veered too far to the right, leaving her down by two strokes with only five holes remaining.

In an attempt to close the gap, Catrina gained a stroke on Hole 14 with a tap-in birdie. However, a bad tree kick on the next hole left her short of the green and buried in the woods off to the right.

With just three holes to go, Paige held a two-stroke lead after missing a putt that took an unfortunate bounce. But she quickly regained momentum by making par from a difficult spot.

As the competition narrowed to its final stretch, Paige's drive on Hole 16 was affected by a tree kick, leaving her with a challenging approach shot. Catrina, meanwhile, had a 45-foot chance for a remarkable birdie, which would have brought her within one stroke of the lead.

A dramatic turn of events unfolded on Hole 17 when Paige's drive was halted short by trees, forcing her to lay up and throw a third shot to the green for a tap-in par. This gave Catrina an opportunity, which she capitalized on with a birdie approach inside the circle.

On the final hole, a long par 4 that played up the fairway and onto a small island green with rock walls, both Paige and Cat crushed their drives, knowing they would need to make the island with ease for a birdie. Paige's precise drive was parked perfectly, setting her up for an easy tap-in.

With the pressure mounting, Catrina had no choice but to attempt an eagle from a distance. Unfortunately, her sidearm flick came up short, and Paige sealed the win by tapping in for par. This marked her third consecutive victory at Maple Hill and brought an end to Catrina Allen's PDGA National Tour win streak.

Paige Pierce emerged victorious, earning her first PDGA National Tour win of the year and claiming the title of the first Disc Golf Pro Tour champion. The Open Men's division lead card teed off shortly after, with live streaming coverage available on the Disc Golf Pro Tour YouTube channel.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/paige-pierce-three-peats-vibram-open