The first four-round Elite+ event of the pro tour season began with wind howling and rain threatening at the Disc Golf Pro Tour – Prodigy presents WACO, as usual, on the Brazos East layout in Waco, Texas. And, while play will incorporate a new course for days two and four of the event, the “BEast” showcased its familiar quality of birdie-streaks interrupted by bogey-snares. Despite the conditions, multiple players started fast in the season’s first Thursday of action.

DGPT+ Prodigy Presents WACO – Full Scores & Stats via PDGA Live »

FPO

The reigning champion of all four PDGA Majors got off to a pedestrian opening stretch of her 2024 tour as Kristin Tattar carded only a single birdie on the front nine holes. However, she birdied five of six after the turn and was the only player to make it as far as the newly designed 16th without a bogey. The 16th challenged everyone, playing to a 0.66-over-par average. Tattar’s 40-foot bogey-saving putt blemished the scorecard, but kept the round together. A stellar approach for a tap-in birdie at the 18th put Tattar in sole possession of third place at 6-under, two behind the leader.

Ella Hansen’s podium finish at last year’s event proves her comfort playing on the banks of the Brazos. This year, Hansen will only get two loops around the “BEast” and she took advantage in the first go-around by leading the field in reaching C1 in regulation and in strokes-gained tee-to-green. She rode a 50% birdie rate to a -7 finish, just one back.

Thursday's round one was not Ella Hansen's first quality performance at Brazos East. Photo: Kevin Huver / DGPT

All chased Ohn Scoggins most of the day. With six birdies on the front nine, Scoggins set an early pace in increasingly gusty conditions. She overcame a lone bogey on 11 with a sizzling birdie-birdie finish on the infamous, wind-exposed 17th and 18th to record an 8-under-par effort. Unsurprisingly, Scoggins was among the leaders in putts-made distance and strokes-gained putting.

Natalie Ryan and Holyn Handley, each overcoming multiple bogeys with flurries of birdies, are tied for fourth headed to tomorrow’s round at the longer, more open Lake Waco Golf Club.

The ominous skies eventually did impact play on Thursday, albeit briefly.

2018 World Champion Gregg Barsby is in a three-way tie at the top after one round in Waco. Photo: Kevin Huver / DGPT

MPO

Gregg Barsby, playing in an early group, was on the green of hole 18 when a lightning strike caused a one-hour delay. He would have to wait to play out a stress-free par en route to a 12-under-par opening round which set the early pace for the field.

A few other, long-familiar faces ventured near the top of the leaderboard as the afternoon matured. Along with Barsby, James Conrad (-12) and Nate Sexton (-10) posted double-digit-down scores, with Conrad's card being one of a handful that did not notch a bogey on the day. (Conrad also led the field in strokes-gained tee-to-green.) The question was, how would these scores hold up with so many still on the course?

Pretty well, it turns out.

Sexton will play from the chase card on Friday, with the trio of Ezra Robinson (-11), Kyle Klein (-10) and Joseph Anderson (-10).

Meanwhile, Barsby and Conrad continue to pace the field, joined by Niklas Anttila at 12-under-par, whose round was highlighted by a 75-foot throw-in on the new hole 16.

Despite the windy conditions, 20 players in the MPO field finished with a 100% putting rate from inside C1, including all three leaders.

Anthony Barela, already a winner in 2024, will round out the lead card with an 11-under effort.

Barela and defending World Champion Isaac Robinson enjoy a moment of levity late in round one at WACO. Photo: Kevin Huver / DGPT

WACO – First Round Fast Facts

• Paige Pierce, playing on the second-to-last card of the morning, was the only FPO player to birdie Brazos East’s newly designed hole 16.
• Four FPO players were credited with 67-foot throw-ins – the longest of the round.
• Two MPO tee shots found the bottom of the basket – Jake Wolff aced the 264-foot hole 5 and Tuomas Hyytiäinen rung up the 213-foot eighth.
• The 468-foot par-three 18th played as the most difficult hole for the MPO field.

Attention turns to the new addition to WACO – the Lake Waco Golf Club, where FPO coverage begins at 8:45 a.m. local time on the Disc Golf Network.