Sanin's 85-Foot Bomb Steals Round 1 Lead at TDU Finale
In the opening round of the 2026 MVP Discs Bottle Lake Open, the fourth and final stop of the Tour Down Under season, local Christchurch professional Sergey Sanin used his intimate knowledge of the demanding Bottle Lake Forest layout to seize a one-stroke lead. Sanin fired a blistering 9-under 55, a 1039-rated round that was 79 points above his player rating—the biggest overperformance in the 34-player MPO field. He leads by one over Francis Orange and defending TDU champion Levi Stout, both at 8-under 56, with the course's unforgiving pine corridors and sandy terrain yielding a field average of 64.2—essentially even par on the par-64 layout.
The back nine delivered high drama as Sanin and Orange engaged in a putting duel. After Orange buried a 52-foot Circle 2 putt on hole 16 to protect a one-stroke lead, Sanin answered with an 85-foot Circle 2 bomb on the same hole, then sank another 52-footer on hole 17 to grab the late lead. Orange, who posted a fifth-place finish at the Taranaki Open last month, and Stout, the 2026 Taranaki Open winner, both parred the final hole to finish one back. Stout showcased his form with four consecutive birdies starting on hole 6, while Orange strung together five birdies from holes 11-15 to stay in contention.
In the chase pack, Bradley Williams and Jacob Blair sit tied for fourth at 7-under 57, with Williams playing 7.2 shots better than the field average as he seeks another title on Kiwi soil after winning the 2026 New Zealand Disc Golf Open. Ben Croll fired a 999-rated round—40 points above his rating—to earn a share of 10th at 4-under 60, while the course's difficulty was underscored by hole 7 playing as the hardest at 5.41 average and only 18 of 34 players breaking or matching par.
With two rounds remaining at one of New Zealand's most technical courses, the TDU season finale is set for a dramatic weekend. Stout's championship pedigree—including his 2024 TDU title and runner-up finish at this venue in 2025—Williams' prolific 2026 form, and Sanin's home-course confidence create compelling Round 2 storylines as just one stroke separates the top three on a leaderboard where precision will continue to trump power.