Salonen Storms Back to Take Lead in European Open
Date Published
In a thrilling turn of events, Eveliina Salonen has stormed back to take the lead in the Professional Disc Golf Association Major European Open. The Finnish player was four strokes behind Kristin Tattar after the first round, but an incredible display of skill and strategy on the second day saw her pick up five birdies from holes 7 to 13, propelling her into the top spot.
Salonen's impressive performance seemed set to secure a comfortable lead going into the final hole. However, disaster struck when she saw a birdie putt turn into a double bogey on the 17th hole, allowing Tattar to close the gap and tie for first place. But Salonen refused to let her momentum slip away, sinking a crucial birdie on the final hole to take the lead.
The two-time PDGA World Champion is now just one stroke ahead of Tattar going into Round 3, which will take place at The Beast in Nokia, Finland. While Salonen may rue the missed opportunity on the 17th hole, she can still look back on a remarkable round in challenging wet conditions.
Finland's Silva Saarinen climbed onto the podium with a solid plus-1 performance, while Missy Gannon maintained her spot in fourth place despite a less-than-stellar round. The battle for the final podium position is heating up, with Estonians Kaidi Allsalu and Keiti Tätte both shooting 2-under to tie for fifth place alongside Henna Blomroos.
The MPO division faced disruptions on Friday due to lingering lightning in the Tampere area, leading to multiple weather delays before play was suspended. Round 2 will resume at The Monster at the Tampere Disc Golf Course at 7 a.m. local time on Saturday, with players then shifting to The Beast in Nokia for Round 3 later that afternoon.
This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/salonen-rises-weather-plagues-mpo