Turbulent Weather Halts Play at PDGA World Championships

The opening rounds of the 2023 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships presented by L.L.Bean were marked by thrilling action, before being interrupted by inclement weather in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Wednesday's feature card had just teed off when lightning struck, forcing a delay that would extend into the evening.

As the sun began to set, play was suspended once again, with six cards still on the course at Smugglers' Notch. The players were eventually ushered back onto the course, but their first round will now be completed in two parts, with Thursday morning seeing the resumption of action.

Before the weather and darkness suspensions, the scores were escalating rapidly, led by Chris Clemons' outstanding performance. The 1086-rated player carded a remarkable 12-under par round, going bogey-free throughout his game on Brewster Ridge. He recorded a stunning 7-under through the front nine and 5-under through the final six holes.

Clemons' impressive display was marked by exceptional accuracy off the tee box in the challenging muddy conditions. His dominance in strokes gained tee-to-green at 7.22 among the early finishers made him a standout performer of the day.

Anthony Barela joined Clemons in the double-digit club, carding an equally impressive 10-under par round. Barela's consistency was notable, as he began his game with a flawless 5-for-5 start on Brewster.

The leaderboard is set to undergo significant changes when the remaining 24 players complete their first round on Thursday morning. A cluster of talented golfers will be vying for position, with several players still in contention after posting impressive scores.

Jesse Nieminen and Matt Orum currently sit tied at 9-under par, along with Isaac Robinson and Finland's Jesse Nieminen. They are joined by Zach Arlinghaus, Cole Redalen, and Gavin Babcock in a five-way tie for third place. Six other players have also made it into the top echelons of the leaderboard, sitting at 8-under par.

Further down the field, several notable golfers are still within striking distance of the leaders. Alden Harris is 7-under through 13 holes, while James Proctor and Jakub Semerad sit at the same score after 14 holes. Niklas Anttila and Aaron Gossage have both posted impressive scores through 12 holes, sitting at 6-under.

In the B Pool, Nick Hanson made a strong start to his tournament, posting an impressive 10-under par round on Fox Run Meadows. His accuracy was spotless, despite two bogies being recorded in his scorecard.

The feature card will resume its action on Thursday morning at Fox Run Meadows, with several talented golfers set to make their move up the leaderboard. Live coverage of the tournament will be broadcast on the Disc Golf Network, starting from 7:45 a.m. ET.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/hot-rounds-and-dark-skies