Paul McBeth Takes Control as Top Contenders Battle at Moraine State Park

The stage is set for an thrilling conclusion to the Pittsburgh Flying Disc Open as top contenders battled it out at Moraine State Park. Paul McBeth took advantage of familiar terrain to claim sole possession of first place with a 24-under par 108 through 36 holes, moving four strokes ahead of his closest challengers.

Reigning PDGA World Champion Ricky Wysocki may have been comfortable in the friendly confines of Moraine State Park, but it was McBeth who made himself at home. The two-time world champion carded a 12-under par 54 for the second consecutive day, echoing his impressive performance at the 2015 Pro Worlds.

"I always play pretty well here," McBeth said, crediting the course's fair wooded design and consistent wind patterns for allowing him to feel comfortable in familiar territory. "It's one of those courses where you can scramble out and save a par or possibly get a birdie by throwing a really good shot."

Geoff Bennett was hot on McBeth's heels, matching his score to move into second place tie with James Conrad. The 36-year-old veteran pro has been on the tour for over ten years but has struggled to replicate his B and C-Tier success at A-Tier events. However, he seems to have found a new lease on life at Moraine State Park.

"I've been coming here for over a decade, and I probably play this course better than the other ones," Bennett said. "I can take advantage of some holes with my forehand roller, which works really well for me."

Conrad has been riding a hot streak since mid-July and continued his consistency yesterday with a 1058-rated round. The Virginia pro is yet to card a bogey in his first appearance at Moraine and has shown impressive poise under pressure.

"Yesterday was just real clean," Conrad said. "I only missed probably off one teebox, and I was able to scramble well. So never really in any trouble, and just getting birdies where they came."

As the final round approaches, plenty of others are still in contention but face an uphill battle after moving day at Moraine State Park. Simon Lizotte closed play yesterday with an eagle on hole 18, while Ricky Wysocki went bogey-free, but neither could manage to keep pace with McBeth and Bennett.

With McBeth on the cusp of his ninth win of the season, he said he would make few adjustments leading into the final round. "I think it's just a course you can be aggressive on," he said. "I feel really comfortable out here, and I'm just gonna play it the same way."

The drama will unfold at 2 p.m. local time today, with live scoring and updates available on PDGA Live. Will McBeth claim his ninth win of the season, or will Bennett and Conrad mount a last-ditch effort to overtake him? The tension is palpable as the top contenders prepare for what promises to be an unforgettable conclusion to the Pittsburgh Flying Disc Open.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/pfdo/2017/round-2-recap