Get to Know Signature Team Member Kesler Martin

Welcome Kesler Martin! Not only is Kesler a member of our Signature Team, but he is also a member of Team Innova as part of the Ambassador Team. He is currently 1011 rated, and the second highest rated player in Utah! Kesler works at Infinite Discs full time as the creative director, or as I like to call him, the Stamp Master. Kesler was gracious enough to take some time to answer some questions. Get to know a bit more about Kesler Martin!

 

How did you get started in disc golf?

When I was about 10 years old, my dad took me out to play a round at our local course. He started playing in the early ‘80s with the classic Wham-O frisbee and let me use it when I first played. I definitely liked the sport, but I was using most of my free time practicing to make my high school golf team (I did eventually). We would play disc golf off and on as I was growing up, but I did not practice with the intent to get better/compete until I was 21 years old. Over the following 5 years, I increased my rating from 948 to 1011. Over the last ~2 years, I have oscillated between being the highest rated in Utah. I have had lots of big local wins along with mediocre results at the few tour events I have played. I finally got my dad to sign up for the PDGA in 2018. He played his first tournament in Logan, Utah where I was the tournament director. Today, he and I complete on a regular basis and often at the same tournaments. Having this relationship with my father has been a huge blessing in my life.

Is there anyone in particular you look up to or admire in the game?

Totally! I admire a few aspects of multiple professionals’ playstyles. Here are a few examples: Any backhand shot from Barry Shultz. Touch shots with the Nova from Paul McBeth. How flipping far Eagle can forehand. Dallin Blanchard’s consistency, Kevin Jones’ athleticism and Philo Brathwaite’s super silky-smooth putt.

 

What is your favorite type of shot to throw?

Hands down, I thoroughly love throwing perfectly straight shots. I feel like straight shots and turnovers are a lost art. I also love throwing shots that shape to tightly wooded fairways. All these shots give such a rewarding feeling that is very difficult to describe.

Which of your disc golf achievements are you most proud of?

This would probably be my back-to-back B-Tier winning streak in 2018. The first win was up in Idaho at the Southeast Idaho Invitational. I was keeping up with three 1000 rated players and finally pushed ahead during the final round. I was so confident, and it felt like I could not miss a putt. My final round was super-hot and pushed me clear of the tough competition by 5 strokes. The second win was the Creekside Open about three weeks later down in Salt Lake City, Utah. Had I not dropped from Ledgestone, I would not have been able to compete at this one. I was able to clutch a hot second round that gave me a comfortable lead. Both these tournaments netted me +$1000, and more importantly they revealed and gave me confidence that I could win big tournaments.

 

If you could play a round with only three discs, which would they be? And why?

I would choose the XT Nova, Champion Coyote, and Star Thunderbird. The Nova is my go-to putting putter and shot shaping throwing putter. The Coyote is a workable straight flying mid-range with tons of glide. The Thunderbird is by far my favorite driver. I will gladly exchange the bit of distance lost from choosing other distance drivers for the consistency and control I get from the Thunderbird.

 

 Other than disc golf, what else do you enjoy doing?

I am passionate about music (playing and listening) and graphic design. I adore spending quality time with my wife, family, and friends. I also enjoy both playing a variety of board games and selection of video games such as, Smash Bros Ultimate, Minecraft and many of the Zelda installments. Furthermore, I enjoy other individual sports like golf, pickle ball and ping pong.

What tips do you have for newer players or players looking to improve their game?

Practice your short game! Putting and approach shots are roughly half the strokes you take out on the course. Throwing far is helpful but its not everything. Consistency and control are paramount.

 

 If people want to follow along on your journey, where can they best follow you?

You can friend me on Facebook, and I can be found on Instagram and Twitter at @km4rt_special.

Be on the look out for Kesler this year! The Kesler Martin Signature Metal Flake C-Blend Meme Sphinx goes live on Thursday, February 25th. Be sure to get one fast before they’re gone and help support Kesler’s season. If you are interested in what the second highest rated player in Utah throws, be on the lookout for his in the bag coming soon. Tear it up this season, Kesler!

Get to Know Signature Team Member Jamie Kiep

 

 


Jamie Kiep is a member of Team Infinite as part of the Signature Team. He resides in Leesburg, Georgia and is currently 1007 rated! We were able to chat with Jamie and ask him some questions about disc golf and about himself. Enjoy learning a bit more about Jamie, and be on the lookout for his signature disc coming in 2021!

 

How did you get started in disc golf?

A buddy of mine introduced me. I used to make fun of him for playing, but he kept inviting me and I finally went. After my 1st throw I couldn’t stop.

 

 

Is there anyone in particular you look up to or admire in the game?

Calvin Heimburg, Chris Dickerson. Both players are humble, down to earth and good people.

 

What is your favorite type of shot to throw?

Full power hyzer!

Which of your disc golf achievements are you most proud of?

I was leading an A tier for 3 rounds at the South Florida Open. After only playing for my 2nd year. I was able to beat Eagle Mcmahon, Zach Melton, Calvin Heimburg but coming up just short of BIG Jeremy Koling

 

If you could play a round with only three discs,

which would they be?

Infinite Discs Concrete Slab, Infinite Discs Centurion, and EV-7 Penrose

 

Other than disc golf, what else do you enjoy doing?

I enjoy playing with my 4 children and hunting any animal in season.

 

What tips do you have for newer players or players looking to improve their game?

Always have the most fun and always follow through. Do those 2 things every throw and you are sure to see an improvement.

 

If people want to follow along on your journey, where can they best follow you?

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

 

Big shoutout to Jamie for taking the time to answer some questions for us! Be sure to follow Jamie along on his journey this year. Good luck Jamie!

Welcome Team Infinite 2021

A new competitive disc golf season brings means that it is time to introduce our new and returning Team Infinite members. We are very excited to announce TEAM INFINITE 2021:

Signature Team

The Signature Team is a group of pro level players who plan to compete in many high-level events this year as they represent Infinite Discs. These players will also have signature disc releases on the Infinite Discs brand, the sales of which will help financially support their efforts.

Dave Feldberg

Drew Gibson

Zoe Andyke

Nicole “Pickle” Dionisio

Alex Tews

Allison Haggett

Chris Becker

James Moore

Jamie Kiep

Joseph Kulp

Justin Gilbert

Kade Filimoehala

Scott Zimmerman

We are also very excited to be working with players who are sponsored by other teams, through cooperative signature disc releases and financial support. While they represent their sponsor brands, they work with us in other capacities to promote their brands, and in some cases have signature edition discs with the Infinite Discs brand. Here are some of those players:

Innova Sponsored Players

Andrew Marwede

Calvin Heimburg

Dallin Blanchard

Garrett Gurthie

Kesler Martin

Kona Panis

Jeremy Koling

Jessica Weese

Joel Freeman

Prodigy Sponsored Players

This year we are partnering with Prodigy Disc to provide signature discs of some of their top sponsored players including:

Austin Hannum

Catrina Allen

Chris Dickerson

Kevin Jones

Thomas Gilbert

Legacy Sponsored Players

Patrick Brown

Discraft Sponsored Players

Reid Frescura

Elite Team

The Elite Team focuses on some fast-improving and higher rated players with a mix of women, men, and juniors who are earning increased attention.

Adam McJunkin

Alex Durham

Andrea Cammack

Andrew Rich

Austin Fonk

Carolina Halstead

Chelsea Howells

Chris Blanchard

Chris Eads

Christopher Paetz

Cody Simmons

Colby Christophersen

Cooper Siebers

Dw Hass

Erik Rasmussen

Forrester Wilson

Hali Trevena

Jace Foster

Jack Peterson

Jacob McDaniel

Jake LaPutka

Jamie Spencer

Jason Light

Jerome Knott

Jody Dixon

Jordan Infield

Jordan Parks

Kaleb Caplin

Koy Blanchard

Lucas Oberholtzer Hess

Mason Foltz

Matt Hester

Mikey Barringer

Paul Koebke Barsic

Robert Centala III

Sami Keddington

Taylor Coulam

Todd Springer

Tongia Toni Vakaafi

Core Team

The Core Team is made up of players who are working hard to represent Infinite Discs in a positive way through their play and their reputation among their peers as they grow the sport of Disc Golf in positive ways. While they may not be as highly ranked as Elite Team members, they are definitely on their way!

Adam Sweetland

Al Hobbs

Anthony LaMonica

Blaine Anderson

Brandon Landis

Brigham Tanton

Bryan Newport

Carter Pearson

Casey Blum

Chad Villegas

Christopher Flynn

Connor Bearry

Dan Snyder

Derrick Blanchard

Donald McCormick

Dru Ulloa

Durwood Hass

Dylan Nuetzi

Faith Marie Powell

Garrett Colwell

Geoffrey Linder

Jason Connatser

Jason Ramirez

Jebediah Anderson

Jeremiah Smith

Jonathan Peek

Jory Reid

Joshua Martin

Kenneth Bess

Kenneth Halstead

Keri Jackson

Kevan Greunke

Kevin VilleMonte

Kevin White

Kristopher Humphreys

Kristy Artiglio

Layne Jensen

Lucas Latta

Molly Bass

Nathan Hendricks

Nicholas Champ

Randal Bemis

Richard Alexander

Robert Tripp

Ryan Blankenship

Ryan Manning

Shane Robert Evans

Thomas Cleaver

Troy Rugger

Wendy Magee

William Atkinson

Zak Erickson

Ambassador Team

The Ambassador Team is made up of players who have a strong social media presence, interact on a larger scale with other players, and work hard to represent the Infinite Discs brand. They are often Tournament Directors, club officers, educators, and experienced disc golf reviewers who are respected by their communities both online and locally.

Adam Helpingstine

Adrian Toledo

Alan Cooper

Alec Falzone

Alic Shorey

Andrew Trayer

Bobby Hughes

Brian Bassett

Bryan Jungling

Cameron Beck

Christopher E. Davis

Clint Kimbrell

Conrad Norwood

Drew Nielsen

Eric Hughes

Felix Vega

Garen Blanchard

Jack ‘Tupp’ Trageser

Jerid Ludwig

Michael Spencer

Mike Brown

Mitchell Rainey

Paul Baker

Paul Coulam

Robby Harris

Robert Buckley

Robert Hansen

Ryan Flahive

Samuel Russ

Seth Dey

Shannon Berryhill

Shawn Swapp

Taylor AuBuchon

Tricia Lafferty

Will Leeroy Jenkins

 

Congratulations to all our new and returning team members! We are excited for the 2021 season!

2020 Update – First Completed PDGA Tournament Dave Feldberg Blog #5

Dave Feldberg Wins Throw at the StoneWhat a year we have had and we are only halfway through! Synthya, Leomax, and I have been laying low at our house hoping things get somewhat back to normal. We have been focusing on our family, house projects, and NADGT. We hope everyone stays safe during these uncertain times.

Throw at the Stone

This last weekend I played my first complete event of the season, a B tier called The Throw at the Stone in Macon, GA. I didn’t know what to expect since I had not played since March where I had to DNF at The Memorial due to the flu.

Before the first round I was nervous like it was my first ever event. I did what I could to focus that energy into a positive energy. They had me teeing off in the last group at 2:00 p.m.. The first hole is a blind par four 495 foot turnover with a very difficult angle and very thick schule to lose your disc in. I walked up and ripped it on the inside and cut the distance of the turn and placed it 8 feet from the pin for an eagle. After that it all clicked and I went on to shoot -21 on the 27 holes. I had the lead by 7 throws over Matt Dollar and Bryan Gort.

The second day the course pins got a little harder, the wind blew a little stronger, and I had a little less game then the day before. I couldn’t find a way to make any birdies and by the time I got to the 8th hole I only had a two stroke lead with 19 holes to go. I battled back and forth with Dollar over the next few holes and got it back up to 3 shots with just over half the round completed. Then I noticed on live scoring that not only was Dollar three back but Sean Goddard was on fire, -14 through 19 holes, and only two strokes back as well. So I focused in and birdied 5 of the next 7 tricky holes. Dollar lost focus and Goddard put on the breaks and my led grew to 7 strokes again. I ended up winning by 10 strokes over Goddard and Jamie Kiep, last years champion.

I really enjoyed playing with card mates and playing the course, it was fun. I wanted to thank James Luppino and the Macon Aces for putting together a great event, especially during these uncertain times. The Macon Aces are the closest Disc golf club to Synthya and I, and they are hard workers. I also wanted to thank Wes Campbell and Richie for their help.

I reached my goal and kept my streak 20 consecutive years with at least one B tier or higher MPO win alive. I wasn’t sure I would get the chance to do so, but I did and I am grateful.

I want to thank all the competitors, event sponsors, volunteers , and my sponsors Infinite Discs and Propull Disc Golf as well as Synthya for pushing me to play this event and then giving me the time to do so. I love you.

Garrett Gurthie Par 4 Albatross ACE with an Infinite Discs Emperor!

Garrett Gurthie Emperor Ace

At last years Las Vegas Challenge we introduced the Emperor as a player pack disc for amateur participants.

Exactly one year later, the Emperor reigns on the pro stage with this incredible ace by Garrett Gurthie — on a par 4 hole making this shot both an Ace and an Albatross!

After a shot like this, you better believe that there will be a Garrett Gurthie G-batross Emperor available soon.

All Emperor’s On Sale

To celebrate this incredible shot, all Emperor’s are on sale through the end of the month, and you can save an additional 10% by using the discount code EmperorAce at checkout.

If you aren’t familiar with the Emperor, it is a stable/overstable distance driver similar to the Innova Destroyer. Each Infinite Discs run features a unique stamp with the run number, flight ratings, and quantity manufactured in that run. Because each run varies slightly, this system allows you to easily find the feel and flight characteristics that you like best.

Right now is the perfect time to try out the Infinite Discs Emperor.

Shop Emperor Here

Drew Gibson Joins Infinite Discs

Photo Credit: Craftlea Photography

Infinite Discs is proud and excited to announce our partnership with with touring pro Drew Gibson. Drew will be representing Infinite Discs for the 2020 season. Both Infinite and Drew are happy with the partnership. Drew will be throwing a mixed bag, including Infinite brand molds. He is looking forward to representing Infinite Discs.

“I think the (Infinite) brand is headed in the right direction, “ said Drew, “and I wanted to be a part of something that is growing.”

Get To Know Drew Gibson

Drew played in his first pro event late in 2012, and has been part of the touring scene ever since. He is well known for his ability to crush a drive over 600 feet, and do so with accuracy. He attributes his power to his fitness and form.

“I’d say my core strength and hips create most of the power. It’s just about being smooth,”said Drew, “and having a form that is duplicatable”.

That power and accuracy helped Drew cash at nearly every event he played this year. He feels that part of what gave him success this year was his progress on his mental game.

“I feel I’m on the final leg of becoming a well-rounded player, “ said Drew, “ not only physically, but mentally as well.”

Drew Gibson grew up in Sacramento, California playing baseball and racing dirt bikes. An injury in a preseason baseball game prevented him from throwing well and spelled the end of his baseball aspirations. So, he picked up disc golf to fill the competitive void. When he started playing disc golf he was surrounded by many of the big names in disc golf. He received encouragement from them and other locals, which pushed him to get better.

“There were a lot of players who had an influence on me over the years, “ said Drew. “Just to name a few would be Josh Anthon, Derek Billings, and Jim Oates.”

The Future

 

Drew said he was excited to represent Infinite for 2020. Not only for the freedom of disc selection, but with the opportunity to work with various manufacturers on special projects.

“I think the (Infinite) brand is headed in the right direction and I just wanted to be a part of something that is growing and see if we can’t work as a team to show the community what Infinite has to offer,” said Drew. “I think the goals for this year are large, and I think we can obtain them.”

When it comes to the near future, Drew has some simple, yet ambitious goals for the upcoming season.

“I just want to put myself in a position to win as many times as possible. I feel the more chances I have to close out an event the easier they’ll come”, he said. “I’d love to just have a strong season in 2020 and prove I can be consistent and battle for the big wins week in and week out.”

In addition to being optimistic about his future, he believes the sport will continue the growth it has been experiencing lately. He points toward Paul Mcbeth’s contract last year as evidence of a bright future for the sport.

“I think in 5 years the sport will grow tremendously. The stuff Mcbeth has done with promotion and such is just a peek into the potential I believe the sport has to offer.”

As for his longer-term outlook, Drew said, “ I’d just love to be in the mix in 5 years with Infinite on my back playing at the highest level still. I don’t think the sport or myself have cracked the potential of where it will be in 5 years.”

I want to do more than just be great at disc golf. I want to help accomplish a greater cause including increasing awareness of mental health.

Pro Tip

Asked for any advice Drew could give up-and-coming disc golfers, Drew said, “Smooth is far. The harder you try the more difficult it’ll be! Be smooth and find your groove. Don’t try to copy someone else’s throw, just work on your form and if you put in the time it’ll come.”

Drew has shown he has the talent, ambition, and knowledge to succeed in the challenging world of professional disc golf. All of us at Infinite Discs would like to welcome him to the family, and wish him all the best as he builds on last year’s successes heading into the 2020 season, and beyond!

First NT with My New Bag! – Dave Feldberg Blog Post #4

Iron Hill Disc Golf Course Hole #6 Basket
After really not playing in over a month we had planned to go to Delaware to play the national tour. I had picked this stop to play as Synthya‘s family is from Delaware and I love the Ironhill Course. It would be our first real road trip as a family and we were excited. We took our time getting there and even stopped to play a new disc off course in Halifax County North Carolina. It was a brand new course it was almost 100° and we were the only people on the property. We made it about 5-6 holes and the heat was too much for our baby and for me the bigger baby. It looked like it was going to be a nice course, maybe we will stop and play it again someday in the future.
Once we got to Delaware we stopped and I got to practice Ironhill and see all the new changes and then we headed to Synthya‘s grandma‘s house for dinner. Man can her grandma cook some good food. One thing interesting that we did while we were there visiting was that Synthya‘s best friend also has young children and they took us to one of their weekly BMX competitions. We got to watch a bunch of kids ride around a dirt track do jumps, etc. it was pretty cool. We never had anything that cool to ride our bike on when I was a kid we were just happy to ride around the neighborhood, man how times have changed.

Delaware Disc Golf Challenge

IronHillBasket17The tournament started and it was pouring down rain but on the bright side I was on the featured card and it looked to clear up some point during our round which it did about the fifth or sixth hole in. So in my opinion two feature cards and anybody else that started late really had an advantage for the first day. It was hard to score and I was like a roller coaster going birdie bogey birdie bogey. I kind a got going and by the 11th hole I was one stroke off the lead and tied for the lead in the group. Then I threw a pretty good drive on hole 12 that went right down the center but too far. It hit a tree and kicked 40 feet to the right over the only OB line on the property. I bounced back with a birdie but then managed to double bogey the next par three. My roller coaster round ended up being a -3 which had me in a tie for fifth and if I just made one more shot I would have got to play on a lead card. It is a tough course to say the least. It was fun being on Jomez productions and I really enjoyed the crush boys commentary.
Day two I was on the chase card filmed by Gatekeeper Media and I just didn’t have the feel. I wasn’t shanking or anything I just didn’t make any jump putts and didn’t make very many birdies. I struggled my way to another -3 which dropped me into a tie for ninth place for the final round. Which would mean my last round won’t be on video but I had a killer group and it was supposed to be 80 and sunny.
The final day I felt a little better and I came out really slow with five consecutive pars I started to worry as those were some of the scoring holes for me in the previous rounds and the players I were playing with were also scoring well on those holes. I figured if I wasn’t going to get those birdies and I was shooting over par on the back the first two rounds, it was going be a long day. But then my putter got kind of warm and I started making a few 50 foot birdie putt’s and battled all the way up to a seven under which surprisingly moved me into a tie for fourth place. So in the end it was pretty nice finishing top-five at my first NT this year, but I look back at the tournament only losing by four strokes and think wow I wasn’t so rusty I probably could’ve contended for the title. That’s why I play in the long wooded big events because I think it provides the toughest and closest competitions and they require the most skill of throwing the disc.
I wanna thank my caddy Kevin, all the players I played with were quite enjoyable to play with. Also I want to thank Jimmy Mac who claims this is his last year as TD after a full decade of giving to the Delaware Disc Golf area. He did win the Innova stewardship award for his efforts. I want to thank my sponsor Infinite Discs and Next Generation tour and of course my lovely wife and son who came all the way to Delaware just to let me play, we did get to spend time with our family which is always good.
Then on Monday I jumped in the car and had to drive 14 hours straight back home to get ready to run an A-Tier NG Premier event at IDGC . It was a great event and everything went smooth. Then after running the event, putting everything away, cleaning up packing taking care of our dog, etc. I jumped back in the car and drove 18 1/2 hours straight to the US Masters championship at Maple Hill in Leicester Massachusetts, because Labor Day traffic meeting up with hurricane evacuation traffic makes for unbelievable traffic.

Tim Selinski US Masters

One of my goals is to be the world and US master champion in the same year. So I was hoping to play well, but the thing is with the Maple Hill course and the other ones around the area if you’re just slightly off, you’re going to have no shot to win. With the extreme traffic I arrived Tuesday morning at 5 am after literally 18 1/2 hours stopping only for gas three times, took a nap and headed to the course. I practiced all four courses in two days and with the drive, I was still really tired. They had many elevation changes. The day before the event I managed to play both Maple Hill layouts and 501 disc golf again for a second round. I really hate just getting one practice round in on each course. I didn’t get the second round in at Newton Hill which proved to be my downfall.

I played well the first round at 501 and literally got a bad break which I got good ones earlier in the round, but nevertheless it was a bad break at the end of my round or I would have broke the record and shot a 52. I did card a 54 which was good for share of the lead with Johansen. After the round the threat of the hurricane was still following me and the weather was turning for the worse. Everyone was getting prepared for war with nature, but it hit during the night and by morning had blown through.
I received a random call at 5:30 am and when I silenced it I guess I silenced my alarm and it did not go off at 6:30. I woke up at 7:15 and almost panicked as I have never been late for a PDGA round, especially a major. I raced there and made it by 7:40 (shotgun start at 8am), but once I got dressed and such I barely got to warm-up at all and I was discombobulated to say the least. I even lost the scorecard and the lug-nut to my cart. Tough start to a long day. I played OK just couldn’t putt, which is understandable since I have had a routine of warming up for 20 years and today I missed it. With 3 holes to go I was winning the card and then I went par, bogey, par, when the others went birdie, birdie, birdie. Now I was all of a sudden last on the card and off the lead card. I was unprepared on the only course I was prepared to play.
The third round I was just not focused, we only got like 45 minutes including the drive back to the course. My caddy and I left right after the round hit a drive thru with only one car in front of us and we only made it there with 15 minutes to spare. So after changing my clothes and such I again did not have the time to practice my putt and work out whatever was going on. So I missed a lot of putts and threw some lazy drives. I missed 11 in the circle on Saturday and I would spend the last round on chase card.
After the day I was basically assaulted by a couple locals because I said without raising my voice to the course TD that Newton Hill was a disgrace to a major championship play and then I left calmly. He told everyone I said it was a disgrace to the sport as a whole. It had no restroom, water, tee pads, course map, tee signs, etc. not to mention the longest hole was 420 feet. Besides attacking me all over FB, They literally assaulted my phone, and messed with the RV I was staying in. People are out of control. Since when does blasting people on social media more acceptable than telling it directly to the TD? Man I must be really old.
All this drama lowered my spirits and the messing with the trailer cost me sleep. I had zero focus and I played poorly. I have not felt that out of it on the course in many years. Then on the 6th hole we are told the payout, and that even third place is under $800 bucks. After that I felt like I was playing for nothing, couldn’t win and couldn’t make money. It felt like casual play. I finished 6th and shot below 1000 rated round. I want to thank all the guys in the area that were so kind to take things to that level and act on their emotions rather than logic.
Overall it was a disappointing weekend of play and experience because of the harassment. There are always bright spots. I want to thank JJ from 501, which course I liked, for caddying on Friday and Sunday. Also thanks to Dave Jenkins for the two rounds on Saturday. Without them I probably wouldn’t have cashed at all. Also I need to thank Don Boutin for hosting my boy Brian Mad Dog McCree for setting me up with those nice caddies. Also thanks to Steve Dodge for letting me shower at his place and Charlie Cavalier and Kevin Jones for allowing me to stay in their trailer all week.
I did get to talk to a lot of nice people during the week and I hope someday someone will again put effort into running the Masters division events. After the event I practiced a little at West Thompson and then taught a quick lesson to a young ambitious pro from Minnesota’s named Adam. Now I get to go pick up my beautiful wife and amazing son in Delaware, and take them home, but not without a night at Rehoboth Beach with my family. Then we have to get ready for a NG Premier in Alabama, the USDGC, and the National Tour final in Georgia. Until then I’ll see you in the fairway!!

2 A-Tiers — Another Win – Dave Feldberg Blog #3

First Place

Huk Central, South Carolina

Some days you feel great and other days you don’t. Being that this event is only 3 hours away from our house I decided to drive back and forth each day. I also decided to just show up on the day of the event since I had played the course before. Both of these decisions were poor choices to play my best. So when I arrived after a 3 hour drive leaving my house at 4:40 am, I am also told that it will be a record hot day both days of the event. So I decided to take it easy and play in the masters division. Another poor decision.

I came out of the gates playing well but I somehow forgot how to make short putts? Which was the one thing coming in I had been the most consistent with this year. So I was spun and managed a 1020 rated round where I threw about a 1070. Then the second round I was trailing Barry by 2 and I cut the lead, but again I couldn’t make routine 18 footers and then the heat broke me. I had not played in heat like that (97 degrees) in a long time and I just ran out of gas. My leg was cramping and my energy was gone allowing Barry to go ahead by 6 while shooting a lousy 983 rated round.

On day two I still had hope, and I started to make some putts, cutting the lead to 3 on the front nine. But then I managed to somehow miss a few more very short putts and ended the round with a bogey from 15 feet and gave him all the strokes back to be down by 6 again. The heat would not let up and the final round was a test to say the least. I played well shooting a 1052, but again I ended my round and event by missing a 15 foot putt for low round of the day.

I did finish in second, but I would have tied for 4th in Open and I probably would have made less of those silly focus mistakes if I was playing in the open division. I also would have made a little more money. Just a weekend of bad decisions and poor play. I want to thank Brian and the Huk Central staff for a well run event with plenty of water!! They always run a solid event that I will continue to play for years to come!! I want to thank my caddy Ryan Schollkopf  for helping me get through the heat!!

Trailblazer – Clermont, FL

I had no idea what to expect as I had never played in that part of Florida before. I did know that the heat wave had not gone away and I would be in for record hot temps again. I felt lucky that I had played the week before in South Carolina as I had learned how to deal with heat better. One thing was that Synthya bought me one of the chilly pad cool towels. Man those things are a life saver and only 8 bucks at Walmart. Also for this event I showed up two days early so I could learn the courses and be prepared.

They would have us play two really long courses twice a day, this was more of the Florida Iron man contest. Both courses were designed by Gregg Hosfield and one was brand new. The first course, Hiawatha Preserve a par 65 over 9000 feet, was a very fair mature tree course. It had challenging shots and fair ob’s. I came out the first round on fire breaking the course record and I would have gone lower but I was stung multiple times by some yellow jackets while trying to stand out of the way of my fellow competitors shot. It shook me up for a few holes. I carded a bogey on the hole I was stung and missed a 16 foot birdie putt in the next hole as I was still a bit worked up from the incident. The good news was that the night before the event I had gone to the course and practiced putted in the dark and figured out what had gone wrong with my circle one putting. It was pure laziness. I noticed I was leaning back in my set up instead of leaning forward. I think the habit started because I was so tired the week before. Once I started leaning forward I started making all my putts again.

After the first day I had a 7 stroke lead headed to Palmetto point park, a new course that will be great but still needs some breaking in. The holes were long, par 67, and they were tight, many a car couldn’t fit through. The rough was on another level (poisonous snakes) and you had to pitch sideways when you missed the fairway. I knew this type of golf would play to my advantage since I learned on wooded courses and my best skill nowadays is accuracy. I came out in the morning and set the new record of -12 with two bogeys. I was throwing well hitting most fairways and making all my circle one putts as well as making a few long putts. My competitors struggled as this course tightness is not easy to explain on paper. I extended my lead to 20 strokes.

Then in the fourth round I came out firing again shooting the exact same -6 on the front nine, but then with the lack of push and the heat reaching its peak of the day and it being the fourth round in two days I lost focus and shot only -1 on the back. It was still the low score of the round at -7. So I won by 21 strokes to win my first A-tier in Open this year. The course was hard period. Fox Hills video crew was there and so you can see when the video comes out what I am talking about.

I want to thank my caddy on Saturday Dan Lewis and my Caddy on Sunday Anthony Rising. Without them it would have been rough. Also, great to see a lot of Florida guys I have not seen in years. I also won the putting contest claiming some cash and a mini basket!!

The trophy was a sick sword!! Looks kind of like the Huk Lab blade. I want to thank the staff of the event for a great event and I look forward to this club and event growing over the years.

NG Update

On a business level NG is doing well and we are working out all the computer kinks that come with a new system. Everything should be working great in the next couple of weeks!! We have really been focused on building a quality staff this year so we can accomplish more and do it smoothly. If you’ve played an event, be sure to check out he current standings.

On a personnel level. Synthya and Leomax are doing great. He is smiling, and really becoming curious, we think he is also starting teething. Everyday the reward of a family is stronger and reminds me how small my life really is. My brother came to visit and loved Leomax. We took him on the lake and he caught his first freshwater fish. Synthya’s Grandparents also came to visit while I was gone but I did get to see them for a few minutes before they left. They are always a treat. We are now getting ready for this summer and of watching Leomax grow !!

I am really starting to dial in my mixed bag, and i am looking forward to defending at the Masters World Championships in a month!!

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