The Greater Tulsa Open grinds into the Round 2 Back 9 at Haikey Creek, and the leaderboard is tightening with every hole. The afternoon shadows are stretching long, but the pressure is only getting heavier.
Carter Ahrens — fighting to protect his lead after a blazing start to the day.
James Owens — the local using home-course knowledge to chase down the top spot.
Logan Harpool — the Kansas powerhouse staying poised and ready to strike.
TJ Reel — the college standout continuing to prove he belongs among the pros.
Mistakes here can cost a title shot, and momentum is everything heading into Championship Sunday. With the nerves setting in and Haikey Creek showing its teeth, this stretch could define the tournament.
Who will rise, and who will fall, as Round 2 comes to a close at the Greater Tulsa Open?
Course: Haikey Creek – Broken Arrow, OK
Event: Greater Tulsa Open
Round: 2 | Back 9
Commentary: Brandon Cawthorne & Braden Teasley
[Music] What’s up, disc golf fans? This is Brandon Cawthorne, joined with Braden Peasley. Together, we are Bquare commentary. We’re bringing you the commentary for the Greater Tulsa Open held at Hakey Creek Park. This is my home course. Uh if you haven’t watched the first round, um get out there and watch that because it was uh a good watch. Yeah, like Brandon said, I’m Braden Teasley. Um this is one of my favorite courses in the area and you’ll see why. If you haven’t already watched First Round, go give it a watch. Thank you to all the wonderful sponsors for making this happen and yeah, it’s shaking out to be a good one. Um, Carter Arenss on the front has been on fire. Um, we’ll see if anybody can catch them on the back. Um, thank you to all the great sponsors for making this tournament possible. Thanks to the TD, Tyson Jones, assistant TD’s Ducky, and Amy. And a special thanks to the Disc Deals team for bringing us this coverage. [Music] We’ve got Carter Arens. He’s leading the event, the overnight leader, and he is 1020 rated. He is uh got tons of game and fun to watch. A local from Tulsa, James Owens. Uh he’s got a very high ceiling. This guy’s got distance both ways, backhand and forehand. His putt is super solid. Yeah. And we got Logan Harpool um from Kansas. He’s been around the game for a long time. 1020 r right now. He’s been playing great this year. And finally, we got TJ Reel, as you can see from the jerseys. He’s on the Emporia State team. Um, originally from Illinois. He’s 988 rated, but he’s playing great this event. And we’re on the whole 10. This is one of my favorite holes on the course. It requires a a very controlled T-shot. Something like a putter or mid-range on a turnover fits nicely. You want to land somewhere in here and uh deal with whatever you get on the upshot. We do play to this elevated green uh elevated basket and if you go too far, you can get some tricky spots. Yeah, the sidearm hiser also plays off the tee. Uh it just sometimes finishes you a little more right than you want. Um but that was great from TJ. I like exactly where he’s at. There’s a back door his from there. That’s a little wide. And this is where the hole can get troublesome. He’s going to probably end up throwing like a forehand roller on the his second shot. James is going a little more aggressive with the fairway drive reflex shot. That was early, but he covered some distance with it. And this is kind of what Brandon talked about, just the backhand putter turnover. and hit some late but at least he covered some ground. Logan going inside out hiser and that looked great. Yeah, he makes the mando. He should be able to manufacture an up and down from there. Brand roller is a a very common second shot here if you’re out of position off of the te because obviously you’ve got tons of trees to try to navigate. Carter going same forehand roller. It’s an early tree. He’s going back to it. Oh, no. He’s going center. Uh yeah, there’s the uh left side gap over there. The forehand can get you up to circle’s edge or so. Another forehand roller. It’s down there. Honestly, no one was in a great spot off the te. So, yeah, I thought uh TJ was in a better spot than he was. James just pitching up here. Damage control. All right. He’ll have an opportunity to save his par, I believe. Logan, this is his third. That was a great second shot. Yeah, the birdie here. You have to be in position off the T-shot. You’re not going to luck your way into a circle one putt from out of position. And TJ lays that up smartly because it does drop off behind the basket. Carter, that’s a good That was a bogey. Yeah, good bogey save. Honestly, TJ cleaning up. It was the hardest playing is the hardest hole this round. So, um, getting par is not worst case on this hole. Yeah, I think it kind of flip-flopped between hole one and hole 10, uh, on which hole was playing the hardest, and I think it may have been a little wind dependent on hole one. All right, in hole 11, brought to you by Knockwood Park. Uh, it’s rated as one of the top five best courses in Kansas. Uh, it’s technical, beautiful, and it’s definitely worth the trip. All right, hole 11 233 is the easiest hole on the course. Uh it might might have gotten cleaned up a little bit since the this flight, but kind of just want this main gap and bury it into the hillside if you can to keep you from going too far past. It always kind of just funnels to the basket. that’s got any stability, ought to be just fine. Be a little bit deep, but it shouldn’t have a problem with that putt. That’s a tug. Yeah, it looked like he’s just trying to down tempmpo and just yanked it a little bit. And this is one you definitely don’t want to be scrambling on. Yeah, he could have ended up in the creek if he had gotten a bad kick. Luckily, he fought through it. James knows his hole well. gets it up there nice and tight for his birdie. Carter needs to stand just a little bit. Sometimes it kicks off of that tree left. Gives you a tough little putt. Logan just getting up there for the par. He’s definitely mad at himself for missing this one. PJ glancing off of the left side chains. Uh, I think it might still be him, but James is just tapping in, getting out of the way. Carter makes up bounceback percentage for that bogey. The last hole gets the birdie here. two birdies as a card for lead card. I was expecting a few more, but sometimes uh the pressure of the easiest hole in the course and right in front of you can get to you. Yeah, sometimes like the hole’s so easy that you don’t you just birdie it every time in practice and then you get out there during the tournament, you don’t give it the focus it deserves and and just get lazy on the shot. Hole 12. This is a part five. You’ll be playing to an island. All this stuff got cleaned up prior to the event. Uh this first landing zone is an island. I think the end of it, the far end is going to be right around the 260 ft mark. Uh but they do have paint all the way around that. And if you miss it, you go to the drop zone on that island. Uh then your second shot, you clear the OB. And uh there is an opportunity for a three here from the first landing zone. Um, but most people are just going to be content with taking their birdie. James just going putter. It’s a little tug, but it looks like he got away with it. There you go. Yeah, that’s safe. This is more what you’re looking for. Let’s see how the speed is. Yeah, he’s going to be okay with that. This may not be in an attacking position for the three. EJ more comfortable with the sidearm. And that is an OB shot. He’ll be going to the drop zone. Logan making the correction from the last hole. I do like that it is like the same shot you would throw on the last hole. So, gives you a chance to tune up on the last hole. James. Okay, James was trying to be aggressive. Uh, I don’t think it’s OB on the downs slope there. It looks like it’s said unplayable lie. That’s uh that’s interesting. So, I think the the second crossing was surrounded by water. I want to say that it probably would have played better with an OB line, but then they would have had to continue that OB line all the way across there and there were miles of paint already out there. Yeah. And this is the drop zone shot. It’s honestly very favorable. Um, and that’s the aggressive shot that you can play. Look, he’s up there for his birdie save. Oh my gosh. Uh, it plays about 440, 450 and you just have to get that forehand turned over and and flying pure the entire way. James takes it on this side and kicks early right and Logan landed on the UPS slope. So that is in bounds. So he’s playing from it rather than taking it away behind it. So, James would have been throwing his fourth shot there, I believe, if it’s an unplayable lie. Uh, I wonder how they chose to do that as a card. You can see when you land on this right side, you kind of in scramble mode. And that was a great shot. That was pretty well done. So, he should be putting for his bogey, I believe. We’ll see if that’s what they end up putting him down for. and Carter making the hole look easy. That’s first birdie wants to connect on a long one here. He’s definitely done it a lot of times before and that was very close. We’ll see what this is for. Good putt. Yeah, great putt. So, they gave him a par. Uh, and it may have been a casual relief due to safety concerns. And that’s a birdie save from an OB first shot. Yeah, that’s that’s really He’s happy about that. Yeah, I mean, he got it in three shots. I think so. All right, whole 12 brought to you by Heiser Knots, supplying your disc golf needs. Reach out to Chris Smitty Smith today. [Music] Smitty’s the man. Plug in there for him. All right, hole 13. Uh 267, seventh easiest on course. Um there’s OB deep. You’re kind of looking to throw either a sidearm hiser through here. Uh if you’re looking to park it, it needs to stand up a little bit or it’s a backhand turnover with a putter or mid and backhand can just go a little bit deep um depending on the height and it can also kick left OB. There’s a path to the left. This looks pured. Oh, that’s great. And you got up on the top shelf without going too far past. There is that OB line that’s deep. Uh so you have to have some pace control with the backhand shot. This is a popular play, the forehand on a hardheiser. Uh I don’t think it parks the hole very often, but you end up with that 25 footer pretty consistently. James going the backhand turnover and beats him. And he hits those rocks that Brandon was talking about, the first one, laying them past this kind of like the only guardian from keeping you sliding up to the the pin. This is inside. Sometimes those do get up there for a putt. Uh he’s going to have a 100 foot look at it maybe. Yeah. And that looked like mid-range. It was a little faster disc. Um and just just a little inside. I don’t think Logan I played with him a bunch of times. I don’t think he goes to throwing putters very often. [Music] He wasn’t happy with that effort. You can tell he didn’t like that one. James for the birdie. He’s gonna connect on it. I ain’t his putt’s been so good this year. That was something that was holding him back. He’d get a little nervous and start missing putts and and now he’s just a problem for anybody in playing TJ with the birdie little spinner here. Looks like Logan’s going to be losing one of the whole card, which this whole one of the easier ones. I would expect this from lead card. Yeah. So chilling him for a bogey on the last hole, which I didn’t keep track of his shots. I didn’t see that happening like that. But uh then going par on this one, he’s definitely going to be looking to birdie the next one. Otherwise, you start getting super frustrated. So 14. This is a a birdie hold. It’s the sixth easiest. The only reason it’s difficult is this left side has got an OB line painted on the tree line. Uh so if you spray it early at all, uh you’re in trouble. But uh at 350, a lot of the NPL players are going to be throwing like a hard throw mid-range or maybe a toned down nine spoon. Yeah. And this looks perfect. You never really want it to get flat. That’s a little long, but pin high. Um, for these guys with their power, you’re looking for something just to hold his kind of the whole way. EJ’s going something faster on a skip line. This grass is kind of lush, but he does get a couple of skips and he’s going to be at 28 ft. James looking like he’s throwing his glacier. This is a little early. It’s got to squeak through. And he does. He gets a little bit of a break there. Yeah, that hometown love. If that goes left at all, he’s out of bounds and and pinched off from being able to save the bar. It’s a little inside as well. And that fights through. Wow. Yeah, I think that’s like 35 ft maybe. I think Logan’s probably gonna be happy to have an opportunity for birdie after that shot. He didn’t like it. James just a little low right. And this looks just outside. Yeah. And that’s what Logan’s known for is he’s got that laser beam putt. Uh when he’s feeling it, he’s dangerous from anywhere you can see the basket. Yeah. He’s had a bit of a slow back nine. So that’s a good one to get him going and finish strong. Carter’s been good for these all day and I wouldn’t expect any different. James on that hole dropping one to the card. And that hole used to have uh some taller bushes and trees down the middle, but they got cut down, so it’s been playing a lot easier. Uh, hole 15, 582, par4. We’re flying down this middle gap, but there’s also this left side sidearm that we’ll probably see. Um, you’re kind of just looking to get as far as you can. The further you get, obviously, uh, the more the gap opens up and the less trees are in your way. And then it’s opens up out here. And yeah, if you go down the left side playing the sidearm, um, the sidearm second shot is also very open. Looks like Carter’s going down the middle, but trying to finish left to open up the gap. Yeah, he’s going to be very happy with that shot. That’s a straightforward approach from about 250 ft. TJ, he’s going down the middle with the sidearm. Yeah, that’s interesting. And he gets way up there. Way down there. The only issue with the the this is perfect as it stands up for him. Uh and gets up there past TJ’s or next to TJ’s the middle gap. If you take it and start skipping at the end, have some late speed stability. Uh you can go be left. James hitting tree kicking right. If he go if he goes far enough right there, he’s going to have a play for the basket. Uh, looks like he’s kind of in between and stuck up against that tree. He’s throwing a forehand that looks to be decent. Is it getting all the way there? Must have gotten swatted down. I couldn’t see it. Carter looking like a putter. Straight at the basket. He’s right there for his birdie. Yeah, that got up there a lot further. It looked like mid-range off the TE. So, that just shows his power. Oh, he crushes. Logan got a little putter in making this hole look easy. TJ with the sidearm past that and a jump putt to the basket. Given that must be nice. Yeah, honestly I don’t know that I’ve ever seen the sidearm down the middle, but I kind of like it. Carter cleaning up his birdie. I think we missed James pitching up. Um, yeah, I think James is the only par here and everyone else is getting the birdie hole 16. This is a par4. It’s wide open. So, uh, Yasha, the course designer and OB painter, which he did a bunch bunch of work on this, and props to him for that. He made some interesting OB lines here where you couldn’t fight off as much distance straight at the basket off the drive. You would have to press it over to the right, which brings the trees and the OB path into play uh to shorten up your up shot. We’ll see how these guys approach it. That looks early for Carter. It’s probably going straight into the Oh, hold on. Actually, that looks safe, doesn’t it? It does. I’ll be interested to see where that’s at. This is more what we’re expecting playing the right side because that’s all in bounds. And yeah, that’s fine. He’s going to be able to work something from there. He may have some limbs in his way, but uh nothing too concerning. And Logan looking like he’s not getting as aggressive, not bringing the OB into play. And this is a great play if you juster out short of that OB. It’s just about 300 into the the pin. James biting off a little more distance. This needs to sit and it doesn’t. He does find that OB pocket. And so that’s what he’s looking for with the design is 450 ft. If you’re trying to bite that off, you better be keeping it right. Otherwise, you will be in that OB area. He puts a band-aid on with a good approach. Get out of here with his par. This is a frustrating par to get. Uh I didn’t pay attention to the difficulty of it, but I would assume it’s on the easier side of things. TJ just pitching up here. He was so far right that it opened up the gap and he threw it so far off the te. I think Carter was in bounds. Yeah, it looked like he was on the appropriate side of that line. Yeah, he just threw it so far past just straight away. He didn’t give a chance to Heiser into the OB. That’s what power gets you. James cleaning up the par. It’s been on a slow stretch these last few holes and they’re ones you want to get coming down the stretch. There’s another birdie as expected. Yeah, James has been ruining our our star frames. Our full constellations. Yeah, our full constellations. What the heck, James? Pick it up, dude. All right, Hole 17 brought to you by Disc Unlimited. Check out the website. They’ve been playing disc for tournaments, clubs, and players since 1987. All right, we got hole 17 280. Uh, this fenced in area plays as the inbounds. It’s not technically an island, uh, because it is hazard all around it. Uh, but you, this is, uh, your safe area to land and it’s probably 35 ft in all directions of the basket. Uh, it’s it’s pretty stock sidearm his backhand straight at it. Uh, these guys should make easy work and you can throw this hiser. It’s just if you tug it just a little bit, those tree branches can come into play. TJ showing you the sidearm I was talking about. And this looks great. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Another sidearm coming from Logan. Might give the basket a scare here. Yeah. Oh, yeah. And I have seen sidearms come in and skip off of that that center uh wood and go out to the edge of the circle, sometimes even back over the wall. James is letting this one leak a little bit. He is safe. Uh, I think he’s gonna be good for that putt. So, because he’s so close to the wall, he’s you don’t get a meter off of it with it being hazard. So, he’s putting from behind it. Good call. He makes and and it was a good decision to face off. He didn’t want to straddle putt it. I have seen the discs be inbounds and slide under the wall out of bounds as well. There are some gaps in that. There’s a connection from Logan. Never over the basket until it hits the chains. He’s got that rising putt. He does part of this is for Oh no, he’s going to be frustrated with that. Just a little right. TJ cleaning up the birdie. I guess we got to pick on Carter for ruining our star frame this time. Yeah, TJ’s hit that double digit mark. Uh, that’s kind of the point of not being frustrated with the round for most NBA players, I’d say, is anything that gets to 10, uh, you’re not going to feel like it was an unsatisfying round. All right, we got disc and deals double take brought to you by Blue Sage Payments. This is probably right outside playing it from behind the wall. What a putt. Did he say double take to him? He might have. He turned around and said something to the camera guy. He’s a fan. He He follows the coverage so it wouldn’t surprise me. All right. And our last hole 18 brought to you by Just Send It Dies. Don’t miss out on your chance to snag some unique disc dies. Visit the website down at the bottom today. Hole 18. Uh this is the short pad. So we’re not throwing from here. are in the long pad and will be throwing down a little bit of a tunnel. Um, it requires a low straight backhand shot if you’re throwing the air shot or the roller option u is there as well. There’s some OB lines uh to the right and to the left to kind of balloon out the further you get up the fairway. This is a good birdie to get. uh you’re not super disappointed with the par unless you just get way up there. But most of your up shots are going to be coming in from like the 300 plus foot range with some obstacles, trees to go around. And we have this OB on both sides here coming out of the tunnel. So any of these early tree kicks can kick you in. Logan just squeaked one through an unintentional gap that could have kicked and gone OB. Uh he’s going to have a play at the bird still. James, this is more of a I was gonna say it was a cut roller, but it stands all the way up. This can challenge that would be on the right side, but looks like it’s just fine. That’s way down there. He’s way way down there. He should have a pretty open shot to the basket. Carter catching one of the inside trees, but lucky to land in bounds right in the middle. Yeah, he looked down at that teapad. That teapad is original, of course, and does get slick whenever we’ve got some wet conditions. It’s rained the week leading up to this, so that teapad uh can be frustrating if you don’t expect the slip. Yeah, TJ going big sidearming. He’s definitely impressed me with his sidearm distance. Yeah, he’s an accent. It’s kind of insane. Carter is going to be throwing from the mud here. Yes. Yeah. I thought we might see a little up and out from it. Yes. Slip. Slowing your feet down a little bit. Trying not to slip, but he gets up there far enough to where he’s going to be able to manage his par easily. Logan probably got 380 into the pin here. And that’s beautiful. This looks great. What a shot. What a birdie to finish the round. Yeah, this is a great one to get to finish a round. James going putter in. That’s how far he’s up there. And why not? If you can throw putters like that, he left it a little bit short, but he’s been so solid from that distance. He’ll connect on that for sure. Carter just trying to get up and down for par. Finish off a good round. TJ with a long bid here. I think he’s putting it. I don’t want to misspeak, but a glitch maybe with or his approaches with all that glide. Maybe a watt. James looking to finish with a good birdie. Yeah, great putt. That’s light work. Edge a circle. No problem. To bounce back from the bad hole one, a five under. It’s not what he wanted, but it’s uh a bounce back for sure. The round could have definitely gone a different direction after this whole one. TJ was an OB off the TE, so he saves his par. And this is going to be the birdie look from Logan. Yeah, good birdie to finish. Yeah, he kind of keeps himself in there with an eight down. Uh like I said, he’s probably leaving the course a little frustrated, but uh these guys that are shooting 10 are not as frustrated. Let’s see what the leaderboard is going to show us here. So, we’ve got some shakeup happening. It’s going to be Carter followed by Jonathan, which is three back. Shot the hot round with a 13 down. Oh, Brucey, Caleb Bruce. Uh, he’s in the mix two, four back, and five is Mr. Freddy Mason. Thank you guys for joining us. Be sure to like and subscribe and stick around for the final round. It’s going to be a great one. [Music]
