For the fourth day in a row, the Open Women’s division at the 2016 Vibram Open teed off at Maple Hill in near-perfect weather conditions. After spending two days in the lead, Sarah Hokom’s third round gave way to Catrina Allen #44184 and Paige Pierce #29190, who finally caught up to and eventually surpassed Hokom heading into the final round this morning.
With roughly half the field cut after Round 3 of the 2016 Vibram Open, those remaining can rest easy knowing they’ll walk away with some cash. However, for the elite few in the hunt for the title, the final round is the most nerve-racking and intense. To be towards the top of the leaderboard after three days at Maple Hill is an accomplishment in itself. But for many, being at the top only matters if at the end of the day they walk away a Vibram Open champion.
Technically, it wasn’t “moving day”, but Round 2 of the 2016 Vibram Open sure felt that way. The scores were all over the place, with the competitors constantly climbing up and then falling back down the rankings. With the field being cut in half after Round 3, consistency for today’s round at Maple Hill will be the key to having a chance at playing in the Finals on Sunday.
Sarah Hokom #34563 teeing off on Hole 1 at Maple Hill during a practice round. Photo Credit: Don Smith #16831
It was an exciting day at the opener of the 2016 Vibram Open, both on and off the course. On top of having a majority of the best disc golfers in the world on site ready to take on one of the best courses in the world, today was also the inaugurat of the Disc Golf Pro Tour and the first round of the sixth stop on the PDGA National Tour.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” says…everyone. Everyone that’s ever been to the Vibram Open at Maple Hill anyway. The Vibram Open is perhaps the most beloved annual disc golf event of the touring pros, with more reasons than we can fit into any article. One could argue that the Maple Hill Gold course alone is enough to lure the best in the game, but that’s not why they make the trek to Leicester, Massachusetts each year. To quote Tournament Director Steve Dodge #22042, “We embody the concept of family. My mom does the parking, my sister and niece help with the scoring, my brother does the filming, and everyone here is a part of our family. It’s a family farm.
