The 2021 Jonesboro Open has come and gone, once again introducing up-and-coming talent to lead card coverage whilst tour veterans duked it out for the championship. Hokom.
GK Pro had the pleasure of covering: up and comers Deann Carey, Macie Walker, and Heather Young, and established tour names such as Hailey King, Kona Panis, Catrina Allen, Paige Pierce, and Sarah Hokom.
Paige Pierce won the Jonesboro Open in 2020, shooting 33 under par for the tournament, and a FPO course record 52 final round, effectively dismissing any respectable golf shot by the ladies around her but this year, it was Catrina Allen’s turn. After a mediocre beginning to the year, Catrina Allen entered the weekend looking to win her first Elite Series event of the year and she did so emphatically.
After the first round, Catrina Allen led the field with a flaming hot eight under par, followed by Paige Pierce, Sarah Hokom, and Macie Walker at seven under par. The competition was rife through the front nine, but Cat decided enough was enough and birdied seven of the last nine holes to stretch her lead to 10 strokes entering the final day.
The coolness, calmness, and control of Cat’s game were on display all weekend, illustrating why she is not to be overseen in the tour standings this year. Cat finished at 23 under par for the weekend, shooting a cumulative nine-under on the scorable front nine and 14 under on the more adept back nine. Cat’s incredible shooting this weekend netted her a tournament rating of 1007, including her 1041 rated second round, the second-highest of her career.
From a third-person point of view, Cat looked unstoppable on the course this weekend and her game expectedly resembled her desire to win. The tale of her tape included hitting 85% of her fairways and 76% of C2’s in regulation; she led the field in both statistics. She also led the field in C1’s in regulation (61%), and C2 Putting (30%). The discipline shown by this year’s champion was nothing short of impressive and the above stats demonstrate the exact advantages one needs to shoot well on this expansive Jonesboro layout.
Paige Pierce (-15), Sarah Hokom (-13), and Macie Walker (-6) rounded out the top four.