Record-Breaking Field Sets High Pace at 2023 PDGA Tim Selinske U.S. Masters Championships
Date Published
The 2023 PDGA Tim Selinske U.S. Masters Championships presented by Innova got off to an electrifying start in Eugene, Oregon, with a record-breaking field of 420 players across 21 divisions. The four-round PDGA Major, which is being held for the first time since 2014 in the Pacific Northwest, promises to be an action-packed event.
On Thursday's opening day at Dexter State Park, several divisions had multiple players separated by just one or two strokes from the lead. In MP40, Illinois' Allen Hermosillo set the early pace with a blistering 11-under-par round, becoming the only player to birdie the final four holes in the process. Hermosillo, a seasoned player with 78 career PDGA wins, was also instrumental in adding a crucial birdie on the 11th hole, which proved to be the toughest challenge of the day for the 102-player field.
Philo Brathwaite and Chris Shotwell joined Hermosillo at the top of the leaderboard with matching 10-under rounds later in the afternoon. Shasta Criss also finished strongly and secured a spot on the lead card for Friday's round.
In FP40, defending champion Ohn Scoggins was hot on Jennifer Allen's heels, just one stroke behind the leader after the first round. Allen, who recently won the Beaver State Fling, shot an impressive 6-under-par opening round, with Sarah Hokom, the 2012 World Champion, and Kristy Lee, from Victoria, British Columbia, rounding out the top four in FP40.
Meanwhile, MP50 was dominated by JohnE McCray, the reigning MP50 World Champion, who held a one-stroke lead over Crist Garcia of Bend, Oregon. Robert Bainbridge, from California, trailed by two strokes in third place.
The competition is fierce at this year's PDGA Tim Selinske U.S. Masters Championships, with 31 players from Oregon and Washington occupying top-three spots in their respective divisions. Nine players currently hold the solo lead or share of the lead, and it's clear that the Pacific Northwest is producing some exceptional talent. As the tournament shifts to new locations for each round, spectators can expect an electric atmosphere and thrilling competition throughout the event.
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(Jen Allen tees off during Day 1 of the 2023 PDGA Tim Selinske U.S. Masters Championships. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA)
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/and-running-oregon