Eveliina Salonen found herself in her first tight spot of the day mere seconds after taking the tee as the final round leader of the first PDGA Major outside North America in three years.
Eagle McMahon is in position to win his first European Open. Photo: Matthew Rothstein / PDGA Media
Paige Charges Back Through Rain
Heavy storm clouds loomed over Nokia on Moving Day morning, yet all was quiet on the first tee at Nokia DiscGolfPark as the FPO lead card launched their drives down the trachea of hole 1, straight into the belly of “The Beast.”
Paige Pierce set the tone right off the bat with a fierce Circle 2 putt that echoed across all corners of the park. Unfazed by Paige´s power move, Eveliina also smashed the chains with malicious intent from her own slightly compromised lie 8 meters down the hill by the edge of the shrubbery.
Eveliina Salonen scorched the Beast on Friday. Photo: DGN
Day two of the 2022 European Open is in the books, and there was seemingly as many storylines to follow as there were rays of sunshine beaming down on the packed spectator's gallery.
Salonen Soars
Coming into round two, Kat Mertsch was hanging onto her first career Major lead, separating herself from three different nationalities represented on the lead card, all tied up a single stroke behind her pace-setting opening day performance. Those being Catrina Allen (US), Keiti Tate (EST) and Heidi Laine (FI).
Kat Mertsch soars to the lead in FPO after round one. Photo: PDGA Media / Danny Voss
The 10th edition of the European Open kicked-off on Thursday, completing the disc golf calendar 793 days after the PDGA announced the suspension of the Major and Elite Series events in the wake of the Coronavirus Pandemic.
With 142 players from 14 countries and over 5,000 spectators expected throughout the week, the 2022 edition promises to raise the bar once again for an event that has consistently delivered one of the most professional and well-attended tournaments in disc golf.
Paul McBeth is looking for his sixth European Open title as the PDGA Major returns to Finland. Photo: Kevin Huver
It’s time.
After three long years in which the world has battled a pandemic and disc golf has experienced massive growth, a PDGA Major finally returns to the international stage for the 2022 European Open presented by Discmania.
The long-awaited return to Finland and the beloved and revered Beast course at Nokia DiscGolfPark in Nokia begins Thursday and runs through Sunday, when two PDGA Major champions will be crowned.
It’s the 10th running of the European Open, which began as a PDGA Major in 2006.
Team USA kicked off the 2022 PDGA Major – European Open week with its 10th-straight win in as many attempts over Team Europe in the 2022 President’s Cup in Nokia, Finland on Wednesday.
