Marko Nartis tees during the 9Hill Open on Friday. Photo: Matěj Verl

It was an awesome day for disc golf in Latvia for the fifth stop of the PDGA Euro Tour and the second Masters-only event of the series.

Beautiful weather on a beautiful course set up ideal scoring conditions at the 9Hill Open.

In MP40, Marko Nartis, of Estonia, leads a tight field with a four-under opening round, but his lead is just a single stroke over three players — Martin Jenny, Rolands Gruzitis and Dan Sööl — and two strokes over three more players.

Nartis, who found trouble near the turn like a lot of the 19-player field, finished strong with three birdies coming down the stretch at the Laumas Course, the easier of the two tracks in play this weekend. Action for the mixed fields now shifts to the much more challenging 9Hill course for the final two rounds.

Käthlin Keremäe lines up a putt at the Laumas course on Friday in Latvia. Photo: Matěj Verl

Estonia’s Käthlin Keremäe built a sizeable lead in FP40 with a plus-8 round and a six-stroke advantage over Oksana Zukauskiene. The FP40 field returns to Laumas for round two on Saturday.

The race is just as tight in MP50 with Raimondas Mikalkenas, of Lithuania, leading by one stroke over Estonia’s Veikko Leemet and Latvia’s own Arnis Peksens. Mikalkenes led the field with two birdies on the day and was the only player with more than one.

Raimondas Mikalkenas tees during the first round of the 9Hill Open. Photo: Matěj Verl

In MP60, Derek Robins, of the United Kingdom, is well on his way to his third win of the year on the PDGA Euro Tour. Robins was the first European to be inducted in the Disc Golf Hall of Fame.

Local Competition

The event also features an MPO and FPO field. Rainers Balodis blistered the Laumas track to the tune of a bogey-free 12-under round that boasts an unofficial 1027 rating. Asko Krais is second at 10-under.

Mauri Villmann highlighted his four-under round with an ace on the 84-meter hole 11.

In FPO, Ly Teder kept it relatively clean compared to the field with a three-over round and leads Maria Liivamägi by five strokes.

Video Coverage

Post produced coverage of the MP40 field will be available soon via APShot DG on YouTube.