Wild Weekend Ahead as Top Players Advance in DGPT Championship

The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the 2023 Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) Championship presented by Barbasol. The semifinal rounds have come to a close, leaving only 20 players standing in what promises to be an unforgettable finale.

The action unfolded at Matt Keatts Memorial DGC at Nevin Park in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the top seeds and most of the favorites were vying for their spots on the weekend leaderboard. With all scores reset to zero for the eight-player FPO (Females Professional Open) field and 12-player MPO (Males Professional Open) field, the competition was fierce from the get-go.

In the MPO division, top seeds Calvin Heimburg, Isaac Robinson, Gannon Buhr, Ricky Wysocki, and Eagle McMahon led the charge, with eight of the top 10 players also advancing to the weekend. Kristin Tattar, Missy Gannon, and Ohn Scoggins – who occupy the first three spots in the regular-season DGPT points standings – secured their spots alongside two other top-ten finishers: Kat Mertsch at number six and Hailey King at number seven.

However, the story of Friday's cut day was not just about the stars shining bright. Niklas Anttila, the only player without a starting stroke advantage under the new tour championship format, pulled off an impressive comeback on the final hole to join the fray. Meanwhile, Adam Hammes set a course record with an 8-under-par round but had to wait anxiously all day to see if his efforts would be enough.

In FPO, the stakes were just as high, and the drama was palpable. Ali Smith – the 2021 PDGA Amateur World Champion – staged a remarkable comeback by going under par to jump seven spots and secure her spot on the weekend leaderboard by two strokes. Stacie Rawnsley made it in by a single stroke, while Jennifer Allen had to rewrite her travel plans for Saturday evening after narrowly missing out.

The cut line proved to be a treacherous zone, with Nevin's new finishing holes wreaking havoc on the leaderboard and leaving several players sweating it out until the very end. When the dust settled, only 36 holes remained before champions would be crowned in what promises to be an unforgettable conclusion to the 2023 DGPT Championship.

For fans eager to catch up on all the action, live coverage of Round 2 will begin at 9 a.m. ET for FPO and 2 p.m. ET for MPO on the Disc Golf Network. Active PDGA members can enjoy a special 50% discount on their DGN subscription.

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