Paul McBeth jumped to a share of the lead at Pro Worlds. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA

Paul McBeth is surging, and Aaron Gossage didn’t blink.

With 36 holes remaining in the 2022 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships, the 5-time World Champion jumped to the top and Gossage matched him step for step.

As it’s been from the start in Emporia, Kansas, the field is tight, and the pressure is mounting with just two rounds left before a PDGA World Champion is crowned.

Aaron Gossage matched McBeth step for step on Thursday at Jones Park. Photo: Conrad Meyer / PDGA

McBeth erased his two-stroke deficit to Gossage on the very first hole at the Supreme 18 at Jones Park, the feast-or-famine island hole, with a two-stroke swing. It was the first of seven-straight birdies to start for McBeth.

After his lone bogey of the day on hole 9, McBeth, who said he’s battling a lingering cramp in his calf, finished 6-under on the back nine, capped by an emphatic and in-the-basket-the-entire-way birdie putt from 60 feet on 18 for a 12-under round and share of the lead.

Was that a statement heading into the fourth round?                              

“We’ll see,” McBeth told Terry Miller of the Disc Golf Network.

Gossage, after his opening bogey, quickly righted the ship and jumped right back on his hot streak for a 10-under round to maintain his stellar position in a breakout World Championship performance.

Chris Clemons had one of the hot rounds and is in solo third place. Photo: Hayden Henry / PDGA

They’ll be joined by Chris Clemons, who matched the 12-under hot round and has quietly jumped to a 28-under mark for the tournament, just two strokes back. Calvin Heimburg is 27-under and rounds out the lead card.

Tristan Tanner, who made the jump from the B Pool to co-leader heading into Thursday’s third round, leads the chase card at 26-under. Matt Orum, playing in his 18th PDGA World Championship, also matched that 12-under mark is 26-under and tied with Ricky Wysocki, just four strokes off the pace.

“It’s time to pounce,” Wysocki said as action shifts back to Emporia Country Club for the finale two rounds.

Time is ticking, pressure is mounting and it’s just a matter of who will blink first.

Live coverage of Round 4 begins at 2:30 p.m. CT on the Disc Golf Network. PDGA members can view the coverage for free.