Coloradan leads the USDGC at the halfway point
After two days of competition at the United States Disc Golf Championship at Winthrop University, long-throwing 18-year-old Eagle McMahon of Colorado leads the tournament by four strokes.
McMahon shot a seven-under 59 taking advantage of windy, but mostly pleasant conditions Thursday. On the 647-foot finishing Par-4 No. 18 hole, McMahon powered a tee shot 400 feet starting over Winthrop Lake and then uphill to put him in position to lay up for an easy second shot. He finished with a tap-in birdie tied for the low round of the day.
Jeremy Koling, from Charlotte, also shot a 59 and sits in second place.
In third place is Fort Mill’s Ricky Wysocki who is seven strokes behind the leader. Wysocki, the current World Champion, shot a 2-under 63 and sits tied with Nikko Locastro from Grass Valley, Calif.
Three who mattered
Paul McBeth: The defending champion (67-68) struggled for the second day in a row and is tied in 26th place.
Hurricane Matthew: The impending storm is expected to bring rain and wind for the final two days of competition. Competitors will have to be diligent to keep the plastic discs dry.
Harold Duvall: The USDGC chairman designed the course with the mindset to “create drama.”
They said it
“If it was perfect weather, it would be harder to gain strokes. I think birdies in bad weather are going to gain you strokes and that’s in my favor. I think I manage it better than most. I have certain methods and techniques that seem to work for me. I stick to them and that gives me confidence in inclement weather.”
Ricky Wysocki talking about playing in rainy conditions
By the numbers
8: The number of birdies that McMahon carded during round 2.
18: The number of players from Finland. There are a total of 91 men and one woman playing in the tournament.
1999: The first year the USDGC was held. Winthrop University’s disc golf course has been the site since its inception.
Want to go
When: Tournament continues Friday. Sunday is Spectator Day, when the cost is $10 to play the championship-level course.
Where: Winthrop University, Rock Hill,
Tickets: Single-day, $10 (Commemorative USDGC golf disc to the first 500 spectators); VIP for all days of competition, $25.
More info: usdgc.com, discgolfworldtour.com
Leader board
1. Eagle McMahon, Boulder, Colo. (-15)
2. Jeremy Koling, Charlotte (-11)
3. Nikko Locastro, Grass Valley, Calif. (-8)
3. Ricky Wysocki, Ft. Mill (-8)
5. Michael Johansen, Denver, N.C., (-7)
This story was originally published October 6, 2016 at 10:03 PM with the headline "Coloradan leads the USDGC at the halfway point."