Windy Conditions Bring Out the Best in Disc Golfers at Waco Annual Charity Open

The winds howled through Brazos East Park in Waco, Texas, but it didn't seem to faze the top players at the Disc Golf Pro Tour - Waco Annual Charity Open. The second round of the 2021 PDGA Elite Series saw some impressive performances, with Nikko Locastro taking a one-stroke lead after a blistering back nine.

Locastro's confidence was evident as he spoke to the Disc Golf Network after his round. He credited his focused mindset and sticking to his plan for success in the windy conditions. His seven birdies on the back nine were a key factor, with only one bogey marring an otherwise impressive score.

The current leader, Locastro, sits at 18-under par heading into Sunday's final round. Gavin Rathbun and Bradley Wiliams are close behind, tied for second place after Rathbun's 6-under round on Saturday. His bogey-free performance was a highlight of the day, with his opening round score still the highest of the weekend.

Cale Leiviska made a significant leap up the leaderboard with an impressive 10-under 53 on Saturday. The former third-place finisher at Waco in 2020 managed the challenging conditions well, carding birdies on seven of the nine wooded holes. His hot round has moved him into third place and he'll be joined by Ricky Wysocki, who is tied with Leiviska at 14-under par.

Calvin Heimburg will lead the chase card into Sunday's final round, along with Raven Newsom and 15-year-old Gannon Buhr, who burst onto the scene on Saturday. For Kona Panis, shaking off a double-bogey start was crucial, but she bounced back with a birdie on the second hole to spark an 8-under run through Hole 15.

Panis's lead is significant, with a 10-stroke advantage over the rest of the field. The FPO lead card will feature three new faces on Sunday, including Lisa Fajkus and Missy Gannon, who round out the group at even par. Madison Walker sits in second place entering Sunday at 2-under par.

The final round is shaping up to be an exciting one, with nine players clustered between even and plus-5 par. Coverage will begin on the Disc Golf Network at 1:30 pm CT, with the men's lead card teeing off at 1:50 p.m. CT and the women's lead card teeing off at 3:30 p.m. CT. Live scoring and stats are available via UDisc Live.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/panis-builds-big-lead-locastro-one-waco