2026 Australasian Open | FPO RD2 B9 | Mertsch, Hokom, Pierce, Tinsajinnie
The 2026 Australasian Open presented by OTB is underway, and Paul Omen and Sarah Hok bring their expertise to call the action in the second round back nine of the tournament. Disc golfers Mertsch, Hokom, Pierce, and Tinsajinnie are among those competing for top spot, with Chandler Ray pushing hard to stay in contention. The Gothro coverage team analyzes the strategies and techniques used by each player, including Cat Merch's attempt to run away with things and Allison Tweety's strong Kiwi disc offer. The back nine features many challenging holes, including a tricky mando shot that only plays for men. Paul Omen shares some insight into this shot, noting its importance in terms of height control. Sarah Hok also discusses the art of navigating tricky shots, such as one where Cat Merch is trying to miss a branch. Meanwhile, Paige Pierce introduces a new mid-range disc in her lineup and successfully gets under a challenging branch with her glidey throw.
Watch top FPO players Mertsch, Hokom, Pierce, & Tinsajinnie compete in Round 2 of the 2026 Australasian Open.
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Welcome back everyone to the 2026 [music] Discraft Australasian Open presented by OTB. This is the Gothro coverage of the tour down under presented by [music] MVP Disc Sports. I'm Sarah Hok here with Paul Omen to call the action. >> [music] >> Yeah, we're here for the second round. Back nine. Thanks for joining in. [music] Got a lovely card. Cat Merch kind of trying to run away with things here. [music] But uh Chandler Ray coming in hot on the front [music] nine finish, hoping to keep things going. Everyone else looking to uh just keep plugging away. >> We're trying to chip away at this lead, but she has been untouchable. Seven strokes clear of second place. There's a little battle for a second with Chandler, myself, and Paige. And we're going to see how this all shakes out. There's all the hard holes are on the back. Not all of them, but most of them. >> Right. Allison Tweety hanging in there. Another strong Kiwi disc offer. Hold 10, par [music] three, downhill. Tricky uh little mando on the left, I believe, right off the tee. And then it just OB on the right, OB on the left, OB long. >> So, the Mando actually plays only for the men. >> I learned that today after I threw this shot, >> you know, we're going to whoop him out there. >> And uh yeah, I kind of wish I had that shot back. >> I was really thinking do anything different than yesterday. [laughter] >> Exactly >> what I did yesterday. I was I was actually a little closer to getting under it. >> Hey, don't beat yourself up. Third time's a charm. >> Yeah, third time's a charm. Totally loving that outlook. >> Cat looking to miss that branch. >> Yeah, this is a tricky one. That branch kind of creates that ceiling. You need some height, >> but I don't know. This This is a really tricky one. I know I started out with that, but height control is of the most importance here. Paige going with a joy, a glidey mid-range. Something new in her lineup. >> She gets under the branch and is out in play. That That's a great position. >> Yeah, like I said, height control really important here. Looking to hit the fairway probably 10, 15 feet before the...
