Salonen Soars to Top Spot on Leaderboard at 2024 PDGA Champions Cup

The 2024 PDGA Champions Cup presented by Bushnell has reached its penultimate stage, and Finnish golfer Eveliina Salonen is poised to make history with a dominant performance. On Friday, Salonen embarked on a remarkable six-hole streak of birdies, catapulting her to the top spot on the leaderboard with an 8.65 strokes-gained advantage over her competitors.

The incredible run began on hole 9, the fourth-hardest hole on the Northwood Park course, and continued unabated until hole 14, the most challenging hole in terms of scoring, with a par average of 0.89 above par. Salonen's hot round of 7-under-par catapulted her three spots ahead of the rest, securing her position as the solo leader heading into Championship Sunday.

While Salonen's blistering form did slow slightly on the final stretch, Kristin Tattar refused to let up. The defending Champions Cup champion demonstrated her prowess with an eagle on the 18th hole, capping off a 4-under-par finish over four holes and narrowing the gap between herself and Salonen to just two strokes.

Interestingly, both Salonen and Tattar shared one bogey each in their respective rounds, joining Rachel Turton (Friday) and Silva Saarinen (Thursday) as the only players to achieve this rare feat. No competitor has yet managed a clean sheet throughout the tournament.

In a bid to challenge Salonen's dominance, Ohn Scoggins mounted an impressive finish to claim a tie for third place alongside Turton, who maintained her position on the lead card. Both Scoggins and Turton now find themselves at 5-under-par for the weekend, trailing Salonen by five strokes.

As the competition enters its final round at Northwood Park, all eyes will be on the battle between Salonen, vying for her second Major title, and Tattar, seeking her seventh Major victory. With no clear-cut winner in sight, Sunday's finale promises to be an electrifying conclusion to the 2024 PDGA Champions Cup presented by Bushnell.

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This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/surging-salonen