Originally published at: https://discgolf.ultiworld.com/2019/06/22/allen-looking-fifth-ledgestone-title/
Photo: Alyssa Van Lanen – DGPT
Catrina Allen has four Ledgestone Insurance Open wins over her careers, but none have come when the FPO field plays at the Sunset Hills course. With all three rounds on the converted ball golf track in 2019, Allen needs to overcome the hurdle if she wants to capture her third Disc Golf Pro Tour win of the season.
A 6-under par 54 puts Allen in control after one round, although she’s not alone near the top. Her single bogey of the round didn’t come until the 280-foot island hole 12, which also gave Allen her only OB stroke. She led the field in parked percentage, 28%, and was second in Circle 1 in regulation, 50%.
Had Paige Pierce been cleaner on the green we may have been having a much different conversation. Between holes 11 and 15, Pierce putted 11 times, including two three-putts. Fortunately, her driving game was consistent and during the poor putting streak she remained even par with two birdies. Early on hole the par 5 hole 6, Pierce hit the only eagle of the day and added two late birdies to finish the day at 5-under par 55, just one stroke behind Allen in second place. She leads the division in Circle 1 in regulation at 61%.
A strong putting day from Holly Finley has her in a tie for fourth at 3-under par 57. She did not miss inside C1X and added two connections from C2. Hailey King, tied for sixth at 2-under par 58, and Paige Bjerkaas, tied for 12th at even par 60, had much different rounds. King started hot, going 5-under through six before cooling off, and Bjerkaas salvaged a rough start by finishing 5-under over the final six holes.
The lead card of Allen, Pierce, Callie McMorran, and Jennifer Allen tees off at 9:27 am local time on the livestream.