Up-and-Coming Stars Shine in Jonesboro Open Opener

The first round of the DGPT - Play It Again Sports Jonesboro Open powered by Prodigy has come to a close, and it's clear that this tournament is shaping up to be an exciting competition. The opening day saw several top players struggling to find their footing, but a number of up-and-coming stars rose to the challenge.

On the lead cards for Saturday's action will be experienced stalwarts alongside these fresh faces. In the FPO (Females Professional) division, Kristin Tattar is currently leading by three strokes after a dominating performance on Disc Side of Heaven course. Despite coming off an emotionally challenging week off the course, Tattar carded 10 birdies during the last 15 holes and closed out her round with an exclamation point – a bullseye hit and a drop-in birdie at the 18th basket.

Tattar's confidence is high as she said, "I was really excited to come back and just play. This is where I feel the most comfortable." She will be joined on the lead card by Kat Mertsch, who posted an impressive seven under par score, and Ella Hansen, who attacked the soggy course with her raw power off the tee.

In the FPO division, several top players struggled to find their rhythm, including Catrina Allen (T14, -1) and Paige Pierce (T19, Even). However, both players know firsthand that hot rounds are possible on this challenging course. Missy Gannon used a sizzling stretch of seven birdies in nine holes to overcome some early bogeys and move into fourth position at five under par.

On the MPO (Males Professional) side of things, blustery winds rapidly dried out the spongy Disc Side of Heaven course, adding an extra level of difficulty. However, Alden Harris was unfazed by the conditions and carded a scorching 11 under par opening round to take the lead.

Harris commented on his playing style: "I consider myself a 'woods' disc golfer, but I also feel that I play relatively safe, so out here if I can avoid the bogeys like I did today, I can definitely shoot well." He will be joined on the lead card by Gannon Buhr, who relied on lessons learned from being in contention at the Las Vegas Challenge earlier this season.

Other notable performers include Eagle McMahon and Kevin Jones, both of whom are making a strong case for themselves in Saturday's action. The Disc Golf Network will provide live coverage of round two, with FPO starting at 9:15 a.m. CT and MPO kicking off at 3:30 p.m. CT.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/mix-new-and-known-names-lead-arkansas