Buhr takes the outright lead with Barela lurking; Lehtomaki up a stroke but lost a huge lead on hole 16
August 3, 2025 by Josh Mansfield in News, Recap
Over the past two years, there’s been a hazy image of a rivalry on the horizon. But like a mirage in the desert, it always seemed to dissipate anytime we got too close.
The comparisons between Gannon Buhr and Anthony Barela have been all too easy to make. Tall and lanky with the ability to throw a mile: both players have a ceiling unlike anything the sport of disc golf has ever seen. Barela put that ceiling on full display with an 1105 rated, 15-under par.
After a poor first two shots on the first hole, Barela was left with a decision. “I had a 60 foot downhill putt to start the tournament,” Barela said in a post-round interview. “I knew that if I wanted to catch the guys at the top, I needed to make it.”
That putt sparked a stretch of 13 straight birdies (and an eagle) to bring him back into contention for championship Sunday.
Despite Barela’s heroics, Buhr carries a two stroke lead after catching fire in the back nine following a slow start.
“I feel like this in a lot of competitive endeavors,” Gannon said. “I just need to get settled. It almost helps when I feel like I’m trying to catch up.”
Tomorrow, Buhr won’t be playing catch up, though. On a course where he has never shot worse than 10-under, and as the defending champion here at the Beast, the field has their work cut out for them. But Barela’s performance today gives hope that we could see the first of many real battles between the two young superstars. It could be a rivalry that defines the next era of disc golf.
While all eyes will be on the Buhr-Barela matchup, Ezra Aderhold and Sullivan Tipton both did enough to secure lead card spots and stay within three strokes of the lead. While unlikely, if Buhr and Barela both come out the gate slow, there is room for a charge from some of the other players.
While MPO delivered plenty of high energy drama, FPO displayed drama of its own.
On the green of hole 15, Iida Lehotmaki buried a circle’s edge putt to save par and protect her 12 stroke lead. Yes, 12 strokes. The 15 year old Finn, playing in her first FPO world championship, was moving into the final stretch of the course with a double digit lead on the world. And then disaster struck. A bad wind pushed Iida’s drive OB long at the corner. After a technical upshot, Lehtomaki found herself a little more than 200 feet from the island green. Her first attempt at the green came up short. Groans from the crowd. And then her second came up short, and everyone’s breath felt caught in their chest. And then again. And then again. The crowd was stunned. Finally, after five attempts, she hit the cage on a line drive, ultimately carding a 13. Her massive lead was erased in a matter of two minutes.
Then Iida threw perhaps her most remarkable shot of the day. In a testament to her resilience, a perfect drive on 17 gave her one of just five birdies on the day on the hole.
It felt like championship Sunday was going to be a victory lap. Instead, Lehtomaki carries a one stroke lead. It speaks both to the excellent round Iida shot for the rest of the round and how much of a damper the early round rain put on the rest of the field.
Henna Blomroos clawed her way back to even by shooting five under in the last four holes, managing to stay within one stroke of the lead. Ohn carded only one birdie on hole 16. Silva couldn’t get anything going and fell off the lead card, replaced by Eveliina Salonen who shot a three under to position herself with a chance going into Sunday. It was one of only three under par rounds surrendered by the Beast today.
Championship Sunday is ripe with story lines: Four Innova players, including the one of the oldest and youngest players in the field. Three Finns and a crowd favorite Ohn makes for a beloved lead card. And a course that has bared its teeth more than once already this weekend, with hole 16 waiting for any signs of weakness.
Quick Hits
- While Niklas Anttila isn’t officially out of contention, a five stroke deficit is a massive undertaking to overcome. The home crowd will have to hope that one of their FPO players can keep the world title in Finland.
- Preliminary estimates from tournament staff have today breaking the previous spectator record (2024 EO) of 5,500 people. The tournament organizers are expecting up to double tomorrow.
- Rain was present, but no lightning kept everything on time. Likely a similar story for tomorrow.
