Cadence Burge tees off during round 4 of the 2022 PDGA Amateur Disc Golf World Championships. Photo: Matt Rothstein / PDGA

Tightly Contested Women’s Championship Comes Down to the Wire

After what had already been a three-days long back and forth battle between the top women at the 2022 Amateur Disc Golf World Championships, Friday’s round 4 at Haubstadt Park provided more of the same.

Beginning the day with a single stroke lead, Shiru Liu, a former University of Texas Ultimate star, struggled to regain the high level that she sustained during round 3 on the open fairways of the Princeton Country Club.

Shiru Liu has been playing disc golf for a year and a half after coming over from ultimate. Photo: Matt Rothstein / PDGA Media

Here, on Haubstadt’s narrow, wooded fairways, with her power advantage neutralized and the pressure of defending a lead at a World Championship mounting, Liu fell behind early to her cardmates Jordan and Morgan Lynds, as well as the 15-year-old Cadence Burge, who was making a push from the chase card.

Things took a turn on hole 16 when, after then-leader Morgan Lynds went out of bounds, Liu took an aggressive backhand turnover line through the gap that went over the water and received the perfect gentle redirection off a tree.

It was Liu’s first ace – in a tournament or anywhere else for that matter – and it couldn’t have come at a better time, making up four strokes on the leader and keeping her right in the mix.

Shiru Liu aces hole 16 at Haubstadt Park during round 4.

Away from the cameras and the excitement of the lead card, Burge carded seven birdies to just two bogeys to post the hot round by three and surge her way back for the final round, just one shot behind leader, Jordan Lynds, at 8-under.

“It’s kind of a dream of mine,” said an emotional Burge, who checked the standings for the first time after completing her round. “I’ve always wanted to win a world championship. I came here last year and got seventh, and at Junior Worlds I got second, so I feel like it would be overcoming something that I’ve never done before.”

With four players within two strokes of the leader, Jordan Lynds, any one of them could walk away from tomorrow’s round a world champion.

MA1: Setting the Stage for the Final Act

Ilkin Groh lines up a shot during round 4. Photo: Conrad Meyer / PDGA Media

U.S. Amateur Champion Ilkin Groh carded a 1-under-par round on day one. 

On Tuesday evening, Groh sat in a tie for 57th place at the 2022 PDGA Amateur World Championships. 

During the next two rounds, Groh clawed his way back, first through the woods of Mesker Park, then around the lake at Prides Creek Park. 

Nine throws behind at the beginning of round four – back at Mesker Park – Groh chipped away during the course of the round. His 11-under-par effort takes three strokes out of Paul Krans’ lead. Groh will begin the final round 6-strokes behind.

Paul Krans’ 8-under-par effort was not a poor showing – though he wanted more out of his second and final loop around the wooded, technical course. A few untimely mistakes and one brutal chain-out on a steeply uphill 30-foot putt cracked the door for others to whittle away at a lead that remains substantial going into the final round back at the Princeton Country Club.

Paul Krans will begin the final round with a six-shot lead. Photo: Conrad Meyer / PDGA Media

Mathew Helms began the round in second place, matched Krans’ 8-under round, and will remain on the lead card for Saturday’s final round.

The hottest round of the week at Mesker Park belongs to Princeton, New Jersey’s Zachary Tesone – a 13-under-par scorcher. Tesone will round out the MA1 lead card on the final day.

The foursome will tee off at 1:12 CT.

B Pool Players Make the Cut

A few players began the week as “B” pool players – members of the field who came into the tournament with a lower overall PDGA player rating – and will end the week playing in the final round of a world championship. (The top 20% and ties – 76 total players – made the cut.)

Logan Staton (31st), Matthew Curtis (40th), Andrew Gowan (40th), and Daniel McNeil (62nd) will play on Saturday.

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