Eveliina Salonen powered her way back to the top of the leaderboard during round 3 of the 2019 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships. Photo: Alyssa Van Lanen

PEORIA, Ill.—Perhaps it’s the fact that Eveliina Salonen and Henna Blomroos are just 19 years old, or perhaps it’s just part of the shock and awe of being top contenders at disc golf’s premier event. But Finland’s two highest-rated female players are both overwhelmingly humble, to say the least. Despite being 4,000-plus miles away from home, Salonen has now regained the lead position at the 2019 PDGA Pro Disc Golf World Championships, and Blomroos has moved into fourth place, with Catrina Allen and Paige Pierce sandwiched in between.

After a disappointing second round at Sunset Hills on Wednesday where she teed off six strokes ahead of Allen only to finish two strokes behind, Salonen said she was comfortable with Northwood because it was wooded like her home course. Still, she was seeking improvement even as she recaptured the lead.

"Yesterday was so bad, but I like this course," Salonen said. "Today it wasn't perfect but yeah—it was OK."

Allen defended her lead for the entire round, but Salonen stayed within striking distance as the two battled back and forth all morning at Northwood. Through the first 17 holes, Salonen was still right where she started: two strokes off the lead. However, Allen fired an errant tee shot on 18 and followed with a rollaway three-putt to card a double-bogey 6. Salonen was surgical on the way to a birdie, and the three-stroke swing had Salonen back on top.  

Salonen’s 5-under par 58 was the hot round, but her close friend from Finland, Blomroos, wasn’t far behind. Both Blomroos and Pierce turned in scores of 59, giving Blomroos the fourth spot on the lead card to replace Estonia’s Kristin Tattar.

Heading into the last preliminary round of the event, Blomroos and Salonen get to play side-by-side, something that might serve as a motivating factor for the Finns.

“It means a lot,” said Blomroos. “I love playing with Eveliina. And Paige and Catrina too. It is an amazing card tomorrow.”

Pierce, who will tee off tomorrow five throws shy of Allen and six behind Salonen—with Blomroos right on her heels—knows she can, and has to, put up a much better score at Sunset than she did on Wednesday morning.

“I need to shoot 10 under or I won't be ‘happy,'” Pierce said. “It’s moving day and I need to make up strokes, not maintain. I think whoever ends up as the leader will shoot around a 6 [under par] or so. There’s a lot of birdies available. I need to maximize my chances at those with good drives.”

With a chance to join Elaine King and Juliana Korver as the third player in PDGA history with five world championship titles in the Open Women’s division, Pierce is well aware that she has to stick to her plan, which is sticking her drives on the green.

“If I want to win the tournament—which I do more than anything—I need to convert off the tee,” she said. “The less I have to putt, the better.”

Tattar, Sarah Hokom, Rebecca Cox, and Valerie Mandujano will be battling out on the chase card and they certainly aren’t out of contention just yet, sitting eight, nine, 10, and 11 strokes off the lead with two rounds to play in Peoria.