Windy Conditions Fail to Deter Disc Golfers as MVP Open Heats Up

The first day of competition has wrapped up at the 2019 MVP Open at Maple Hill, with the wind picking up as the day drew to a close. The gusty conditions made it increasingly difficult for players who teed off later in the day, but those who got out early had a distinct advantage when it came to scoring.

One of the standout performances of the day came from Joel Freeman, who is riding high after a strong finish last week on the PDGA National Tour. Freeman's round was far from perfect, with a bogey following an out-of-bounds shot on his second hole of the day. However, he quickly rebounded to card three birdies and finished at -8, just one stroke behind the leaders.

Adam Hammes also turned in a scorching hot round, although it wasn't without its blemishes. A double-bogey on the 14th hole, which features water hazards, threatened to derail his momentum. However, Hammes recovered with birdies on holes 7 through 11 and finished strong, carding circle 2 putts on the final two holes of the day.

Hammes' impressive performance earned him a tie for the lead with Nathan Queen, who was blissfully unaware that he had matched Hammes' score. According to Queen, his main focus was simply to have a good round and enjoy the beautiful Massachusetts weather.

Meanwhile, in the women's division, Paige Pierce set the tone early on, carding her first birdie of the day on hole 2. She went on to maintain an incredible par-free streak from hole 7 to 14, which included five birdies but also two bogeys. With this impressive display, Pierce has firmly established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the Open Women's division.

As the competition continues into day two, it will be fascinating to see if Queen and Hammes can maintain their momentum or if other players will emerge to challenge for the top spot on Sunday.

This article was compiled from disc golf coverage with AI assistance. Source: pdga.com — https://www.pdga.com/news/queen-hammes-stake-early-claims-mvp-open