Two strokes separate Open top ten
June 8, 2018 by Bennett Wineka in Coverage, Recap with 0 comments
Round one of today’s two scheduled rounds at Beaver State Fling is in the books. And so far, the predictions were right, you don’t have to throw your highest rated rounds to win in Estacada, Oregon.
Eagle McMahon finished the Friday morning round at Milo McIver State Park’s Riverbend West Course on top of the Open leaderboard with a 1055-rated 10-under par 51. McMahon went bogey-free with a 100 percent scramble rate and connected on 94 percent of his Circle 1 putts. Drew Gibson is tied with Bradley Williams in second at 9-under par 52.
Gibson saved a disastrous tee shot on his second to last hole to keep him on McMahon’s heels. Hole 16, a 250 foot par 3, was the third easiest hole to par during round one, yet Gibson found trouble, landing 95 feet away from the pin. His miraculous throw-in for birdie from outside Circle 2 makes it look routine on the scorecard.
Williams was one of six players to record an eagle on the 850 foot par 5 hole 6, the location of Philo Brathwaite’s albatross. He was also one of five players in the top ten to finish without a bogey.
Seven players are tied for fourth place at 8-under par 53. Simon Lizotte, Nate Sexton, Chandler Fry, James Proctor, Ricky Wysocki, Luis Nava and Grady Shue are two strokes off the lead and round out the top ten.
Starting on hole 3 of the East Course, Sarah Hokom looked like she was going to continue her recent stretch of domination. Three birdies on her first five holes had her in the early lead until 3-over par on the back nine gave the strokes right back. She sits tied in second with Catrina Allen at even par 61.
Your first round Open Women’s leader is Vanessa Van Dyken, shooting a 985-rated 1-under par 60, the only player in the field to shoot a negative score. Still working her way back from injury, Van Dyken has placed in the top ten at Masters Cup and the San Francisco Open, her only two events of 2018. She carded two birdies to one bogey.
Paige Pierce and Valarie Jenkins are tied in fourth at 1-over par 62. Jenkins will play on the lead card for round two. Pierce had four bogeys on the round, including a brutal double bogey on the par 4 hole 10 with two OB strokes. She did salvage a birdie with a deadly 75 foot jump putt early in the round on hole 6.
Paige Pierce Hole 6 75 ft Birdie
Lisa Fajkus and Paige Bjerkaas are tied in sixth at 2-over par 63 and Kona Panis, Zoe Andyke and Nicole Bradley are tied in eighth at 4-over par 65.
The second round finds each division swapping courses and begins at 2:30 p.m. Pacific. Follow UDisc Live for scoring updates.
