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Allen, Van Dyken Lead Tight Field; Jones Sets Early Pace

Allen, Van Dyken Lead Tight Field; Jones Sets Early Pace

DGPT - Ledgestone Insurance Open Day One Recap

Friday, August 14, 2020 - 00:54

Kevin Jones raced to an early lead and watched as the rest of the field battled Northwood Park. Photo: DGPT

Kevin Jones set the mark early and it stood. Gregg Barsby and Paul Ulibarri were flawless in a return to form for both. James Conrad took a punch and battled back.

Catrina Allen started a birthday celebration with a tie for first alongside a rollercoaster round from Vanessa Van Dyken. Two more players, Paige Peirce and Ellen Widboom rounded out a tightly contested battle.

This was all just first day of the Disc Golf Pro Tour’s 2020 Ledgestone Insurance Open in Peioria, Illinois.

Starting off a long day of action, with the FPO field returning to early-morning tee-times for this event, Allen fired off a 3-under birthday round, highlighted by 49-foot putt for eagle on hole 13 – the lone three of the day at Sunset Hills, where all four rounds of the FPO competition will take place.

“It was a good start,” Allen told the Disc Golf Network following her round. “I went in with the plan to play smooth and get birdies when they come. There are three more rounds so there’s no rush.”

The rest of Allen’s celebration included more golf as she planned to play nine holes of golf and cap the day with ice cream and miniature golf.

Van Dyken matched the 3-under score and bounced back throughout her round. She led the field in birdies at 44%, Circle 1 in regulation (50%) and birdie rate (44%).

Peirce scattered in six birdies among a double and two single bogeys to trail by one stroke at 2-under. Widboom, coming off an emotional win this past week at the DGPT’s Idlewild Open, played clean until her first bogey on 17 and only out-of-bounds shot but recovered with birdie 18 to land her on the lead card.

“On 17, it was inches from coming back inbounds,” Widboom told DGPT’s Terry Miller. “Staying in bounds was my number one goal but today wasn’t like my practice rounds – I’ve got to be more aggressive.”

Valerie Mandujano and Callie McMoran, both at 2-under as well, will join Elaine King and Deann Carey on the chase card. Six more players follow at even par, three shots back of the leaders.

Northwood Round 2 Awaits

On the MPO side, Jones turned in his 1077-rated 54 early in the day – some five hours before the feature card exited the course – and watched as the field battled the daunting Northwood track.

The wooded course, which tested player's stamina and endurance throughout the long round, showed its teeth to most of the field and averaged four strokes over par for the field.

One shot back of Jones, Barsby and Ulibarri turned in bounce-back performances as both recorded the only bogey-free rounds of the day.

Barsby cashed putts from all over and led the field, along with Conrad, with a 100% C1X mark. He, of course, added to a pair of 60-foot putts, a day on the green at he described as 'vintage.' Barsby also led in scramble percentage (100%), including an escape with par on the 17th after an errant tee shot.

“I didn’t know the number but 55, that’s good for me,” the 2018 World Champion said to the DGPT immediately following his round. “It’s been a rough slide over the past month or so, but I took last weekend off, worked on some things, got here early and practiced. No bogeys -- it’s been a while since I’ve had one of those rounds. It was nice to hit some vintage putts, the kind people know me for.”

Ulibarri, who had his mother on his bag, echoed the sentiment with easily his best round since his return from a season-ending knee injury, one that kept him away from the 2018 World Championships on the same track.

“It feels good, I haven’t played that clean or solid in a while,” he said. “There was a little revenge factor since I missed Worlds last year here. It felt good to be back competing with the best.”

Conrad, meanwhile, started off 4-under through 11 before a double-bogey 7 on the daunting 1050-foot hole 12 ended his run at mistake-free round.

But that didn’t derail his round in the slightest.

The reigning U.S. Champion rattled off six-straight birdies to finish, highlighted by a 107-foot throw-on in on the island green on 15. Conrad led the field with no OB shots on the day.

While the scores were low – DGPT commentator and multi-time World Champion Nate Doss described 10-under and 9-under as ‘something special’ – the excitement was mum as action returns to Northwood for round two before shifting to Eureka Lake for the weekend.

“It’s a good start but I’ve got to keep it going,” Barsby said.

Added Ulibarri: “Now I have to go do it again tomorrow.”

Round one provided plenty of action but three days – and a lot of disc golf – remain.

Action resumes live on the Disc Golf Network with the FPO coverage beginning at 9:50 a.m. ET. MPO coverage is slated for a 4:05 p.m. ET start on DGN.