Kristin Tattar has not finished outside the top-3 in a Major or Elite Series event in her career. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA Media

Coming into a Pro Worlds as the favorite without ever having won one; the pressure could be crushing.

Coming in as the heavy favorite as Kristin Tattar did this week – she was given a greater than 50% chance of taking down the event according to the new win probability stat from UDisc – and the pressure mounts even further.

But for the Estonian, day 1 of the 2022 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships went exactly according to script. From the first buttery-smooth backhand that was one of only five out throws to find the Hole 1 island, to the final putt on 18, Tattar looked firmly in control.

“It’s a lot what you create in your head,” the 2019 USWDGC champion said about dealing with weight of expectations. “If you keep telling yourself this is the only tournament of the year that I want to play well. This is the biggest thing in the world. Then, maybe, you feel too much pressure. But I tried to take it just like every other weekend – like every tournament. That was my mindset, and I guess it worked – at least for the first round.”

Tattar will take a two-throw lead into Wednesday’s 2nd round over Finn, Henna Blomroos (-8), and a leaderboard that is stacked at the top with European players, who account for 3 of the 5 best FPO scores after 18 holes.

Henna Blomroos is playing in her first event in Emporia, Kansas. Photo: Justin Anderson / PDGA Media

Also on that list is Blomroos’s countrywoman, Eveliina Salonen, who is four-shots back of the leader, matching Tattar shot-for-shot on the fairway but continuing to lose strokes on the putting green.

Rounding out the top spots after day 1 are long-throwing Americans Ella Hansen (-7) and Jennifer Allen (-6) who will be looking to press their distance advantage as action moves over to the Emporia Country Club course for Wednesday’s round 3.

Meanwhile, defending champion, Catrina Allen (+2), and 5-time champion, Paige Pierce (-3), fell off the pace and find themselves outside of the top 10 after round 1.

Pierce, however, has a history of coming back from slow starts at Worlds – she previously won after finishing the first round in 9th place (2019) and 11th place (2015) – a performance that she’ll have to repeat if she hopes to land number six this year.

Round 2 of the 2022 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships continues Wednesday with live FPO coverage kicking off at 9am CT only on DiscGolfNetwork.com