If the first day of the 2024 United States Women’s Disc Golf Championship is any indication, the first PDGA Major of the year is set to deliver a wild finish.

After the first of four rounds all across the 21 divisions in the largest USWDGC in history, there are close battles from FPO all the way down to FJ10.

Missy Gannon set the mark at the brand-new Sprinkle Valley track, but her lead is just one stroke and there are leads by three or fewer strokes in nine more divisions in Austin, Texas.

Right behind Gannon, whose opening round checked in with a 1032 rating, are Rebecca Cox and Valerie Mandujano. All three at the top of the leaderboard shot a career high in round ratings. Cox and Mandujano’s 6-under 59s checked in at 1025, according to StatMando.

Gannon did her work on the front nine with a 7-under score at the turn. Cox scored on the back with a 6-under finish. Mandujano opened and closed with a bogey but was clean the rest of the way.

Opening with a 40-foot highlight putt, Gannon tacked on another C2 hit late and went 9-of-11 from C1X but was solid off the tee with 17 of 18 fairway hits 67% mark in C2 in regulation.

Sai Ananda, making her 2024 season debut, rounds out the lead card at 3-under, four off of the pace.

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But FPO is just one of the several tight races to get the 25th USWDGC — featuring a record field of 347 players — started.

Nikki Haney

In FA1, Addison Woodard and Rebecca Minnick are tied at the top. Same goes for Athena Cuevas and Eva Lustenko in FJ12.

Addison Woodard

Rebecca Minnick

Kim King has a one-stroke lead over Angie Taylor in FA55. Alysia Graham leads Kelsie Sweeten and Ashton Harris by one in FA2.

In FJ10, Hanniel Midtylng leads Hayden Harper by two strokes.

Shelby Cowen

There are four divisions separated by three strokes: Allie Lawler in FA50 with her third-highest rated round of her career; Nikki Haney in FA3 with the second-highest rated round of her career; Vanessa Shumard in FA3 after she shot 111 points above her rating; and Shelby Cowen, who opened her 2024 USWDGC with a blistering 950-rated round in FJ15, besting her 949 rated round at the 2023 USWDGC.

Here's a look around the rest of the Day 1 action in the Lone Star State:

• Jennifer Allen was clean on the back nine — grabbing the only birdie on 18 in the FP40 division — to pull away for a four-stroke lead over Stephanie Vincent and Ellen Widboom at Sprinkle Valley.
• Juliana Korver had a field-best six birdies at Wilco for a six-stroke lead over Des Reading in FP50.
• Making her USWDGC debut, two-time PDGA World Champion (1988, 1989) Chris O’Cleary  leads FP55 by eight strokes.

Sandy Gast

Here are the rest of the leaders and their leads:

• FP60: Pam Reineke — 8
• FP65: Sandy Gast — 6
• FP70: Sue Horn — 8
• FP75: Lynne Gerber — 12
• FA40: Janae Chaney — 8
• FA60: Donna Stanley — 8
• FA70: Patti Adams — 8
• FJ18: Rebecca Don — 5

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More Coverage

Gatekeeper Media is on the ground providing next-day coverage of different divisions throughout the USWDGC, starting with FP40 on Thursday. All coverage will be available on the PDGA's YouTube channel.