Aaron Gossage finished with a pair of birdies to grab a one-shot lead in MPO. Photo: DGPT

Round 2 of the 2023 OTB Open saw even more new records in a season full of record-breaking rounds. While the FPO field finally got some score separation, the MPO leaderboard completely reshuffled.

Pierce gets Fierce

Paige Pierce scorched the Swenson Park course on Saturday. Photo: DGPT

Day two of the 2023 OTB Open started with a four-person tie at the top of the FPO field, but by the end of the round, one player managed to pull ahead and set a record in the process.

“There was a lot of emotion on the course today, I just was really amped,” said Paige Pierce, who started Round 2 tied for first at seven strokes under par.

Pierce went on to score 12 birdies and was the only player in the FPO field to avoid taking a single bogey in Round 2. Even after scoring the hot round on day 1, Pierce was willing to change up her disc selection to score the hot round again on day 2.

“Tournament power was real,” Pierce said after her back-to-back hot rounds, “I was sailing past some baskets, changing gameplans, and clubbing down and being able to hit it harder.”

Of her 12 birdies on the day, 10 came from Holes 4-13. According to StatMando, Pierce’s 10-straight birdies today is the longest birdie streak we have on record (2021-present) in a Major, Elite, or Silver round.

The defending OTB champ’s record-breaking round featured some impressive putting as Pierce maintained 100% C1X Putting and three circle 2 makes.

“The putter just felt so good today, I really didn’t see my putter hit the ground until two thirds of the way through the round,” Pierce said in a post-round interview.

After starting her round with a successful circle 2 putt, Pierce was willing to run more long putts, always confident that she could make a lengthy comebacker to keep her bogey-free round going.

Pierce will go into the final round with a four-stroke lead over Ella Hansen, who shot 8-under on day 2. Hansen was close to winning her first Elite Series event earlier this season at the Waco Annual Charity Open where she lost to Kristin Tattar after a two-stroke swing on the final hole of the tournament.

“It’s a tough balance for me, I feel like I have struggled when I think about what other people are doing,” Hansen said when asked if she plans to chase down Pierce in the final round, “I think for the most part, I play better when I’m trying to play my game, so obviously I’ll…