Category: Players Meeting

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RESULTS – 🏆SIMON LIZOTTE & KRISTIN TATTAR

With the close of MCO, the season completes its 7th event out of 28, and Nashville brought the heat. In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or may have missed:

1 – MCO almost checked all the boxes: ✅ Trophy, ✅ Commentators, ❌ Course.

The TN disc golf scene is steeped in history with dedicated clubs and wooded courses. But when the Tour comes to town, a Mini-Jonesboro gets put up with elevation and air space.

The Mill Ridge course is notoriously one of the least liked on Tour, and that hasn’t changed. Complaints included impossible birdies even by FPO power players, older baskets that couldn’t catch, and specifically hole 11 hatred.

But looking past the fact that only 2 FPO finished under par, there was a lot to love this weekend. The best trophy on Tour was in the form of a Les Paul, and the commentary teams won fans over.

Many social posts wanted Charlie Eisenhood, Juliana Korver, Brian Earhart, and the one and only Zach Melton to be weekly mainstays. That won’t happen, but it’s safe to say Melton stole the show and has a future in this.

2 – A first and hopefully last for the DGPT.

“Today someone called in a threat of violence against myself and potentially the other players, staff, and spectators. Play was suspended today because of this person.” – Natalie Ryan (IG on Saturday)

As of now, the specific threat has not been made public. But here’s what transpired from Charlie Eisenhood’s perspective:

• Ryan received a threat to herself or others if she played
• It was brought to the DGPT which immediately tried to get more police presence
• That didn’t happen quickly enough, so play was suspended before Ryan teed off
• Police arrived, evaluated the situation, and play was resumed 90 minutes later with an officer following Ryan’s card

Also on the ground, the boys from The Disc Golf World shared that bags were being checked as part of the new protocols. There’s not much more to say about this hopefully one-off incident.

3 – Early season Did Not Start’s and Did Not Finish’s.

For some reason, numerous DNFs happen around MCO timing. This year there was more than a handful dropping out due to injury, scheduling, and unforeseen circumstances.

• Eagle McMahon didn’t play due to tweaking his back. His return was always planned for Champions Cup, so he didn’t “want to come back and it be a flop.”
• Both Valerie Mandujano & Mason Ford dropped due to trigger finger and a hamstring injury respectively
• To recover before the Major, Corey Ellis dropped due to a newly discovered anterior shoulder impingement that’s causing pinching pain
• Cynthia Ricciotti DNF’d after the 2nd round and Kyle Klein after one round. It’s been speculated that the couple decided to skip out early after she posted this:

4 – “It was fun while we had it.” – Juliana Korver

MCO has run for 10 years, and up until now, there have always been unique FPO winners. The unflappable Tattar is back to her winning ways after a slow March.

She became the back-to-back MCO Champ, got her 3rd win in 3 weekends, and officially started a guitar collection. And while the final scorecard showed Tattar’s dominance, it was more entertaining than met the eye.

There was legitimate hope that the two-horse race between her & Handley was going to be close. But after too many missed putts and opportunities, Handley must wait longer for her 1st Elite win (even if it comes when Tattar goes back to Estonia).

5 – Simon “Belly Ache” Lizotte.

Hours after Tattar raised her 2nd guitar, Lizotte completed his wire-to-wire weekend and the 1st double-title defense since Pierce & McBeth did it at the 2020 MVP Open.

While fighting all his ailments, he put up his best event rating ever thanks to his smart plays and effortless putts. His encore performance might prove that 1 child gives you dad strength and a 2nd makes you dad smart.

Lizotte now gets a well-deserved and uncommon spring at home as his family grows in 2 days. He plans to return at the end of May for the Portland Open.

6 – “It’s not a course for old people.” – Zach Melton

The veteran-filled leaderboard proved him wrong. With bad shoulders, bad hips, and beautiful dad bods, the leaders of years passed stayed relevant.

It was the 1st time since 2017 that Lizotte, McBack, & Wysocki all shared the podium. And for the big man himself, it was Jeremy Koling’s 1st Top-5 finish since 2019 USDGC.

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RESULTS – 🏆ANTHONY BARELA & KRISTIN TATTAR

The best sporting event of the year happened over the weekend, and it wasn’t the Masters… Joking aside, Jonesboro is always a treat.

In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or may have missed:

1 – This course is more than meets the eye.

As one of the long-standing Tour stops, Disc Side of Heaven has earned its spot as an iconic venue. To the uninitiated, many of the holes appear to be “open”, but in reality, it has intrigue built in.

And when there’s inconsistent wind adding to the undulating fairways and greens, it becomes must-watch TV.

As for the reorganized layout, it was neither better nor worse. FPO’s had some rough edges needing fixing (hole 2 had 0 birdies), and the par 3 finishing hole was thankfully made better by the moment.

Regardless, this course truly has its own identity. And with a 2nd wooded course being built nearby, Jonesboro is 2 years away from being a 4-day event or maybe even a Major.

2 – A one in 221.8k chance.

Before the action even began, the memes were flowing. Thanks to the TD, we were treated to some non-standard feature cards: The Pauls & the Lefties.

It was confirmed that these cards were partly by chance and then influenced by choice to keep things fun. As for which Paul or Lefty came out on top…

• Ulibarri edged it out over McBeth thanks to his 1050-rated Sunday
• Clemons beat Queen by 2 to become King Lefty

3 – 2024’s 1st repeat win was no contest.

Away from the recent normal, FPO turned out to be less of a nail-biter. But it was still a pleasure to watch as Tattar went from a scorched-earth 1044 round to a solid 1009 and finally a walk-in 994.

Overcoming her worst 2023 finish here (6th), Tattar was firing on all cylinders. And despite the commentators’ storylines, her earned lead was never in any real danger.

Bonus stat: This was Tattar’s 6th 8+ stroke victory at Elite/Major events. In the last 3 years, there have been only 6 other instances where that’s happened.

4 – The snakes were out in early spring.

Thanks to the scoreable but dangerous holes, 7 guys were pushing for the win. Through the better part of the broadcast, most eyes were on the chasers.

But now knowing how to win, AB waited for his moment to strike. He was even par through 12, then started his fire sale with a 59’ stepper eagle.

Now that he’s won 3 of the 5 events already, AB’s officially joined an elite club. He’s slowly shifting the scales from the Year of AB to the full-blown Era of AB.

“Ever since chess.com, it’s just been a new me, and I’m so excited for the future. And this is just the beginning.” – Barela (JomezPro)

And as the stand-up guy that he is, AB’s bringing his good friend Jacob “Cupcake” Courtis along for the ride. Who cares about finishing out of the cash when you can caddie for the future Player of the Year?

5 – What about the what-ifs?

Both Ben Callaway & Ezra Aderhold fought their way to their best finishes since early last year. And down the stretch, both had their fair share of mistakes and bad luck. But now with the added experience, the pair are trending up.

All while handicapped with no FH, Calvin Heimburg was 2 rollaways away from maybe going back-to-back-to-back at this event. But unfortunately, it’s still the same no-win story we keep seeing.

Even with a noteworthy finish, Holyn Handley continues her trend of playing below average during final rounds. So far this season, she’s only shot above her rating in a final round once.

Eliezra Midtlyng gets her best finish yet (5th). Skipping the West Coast and Europe swing, the 16-year-old still has a full schedule planned for her 1st touring season.

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RESULTS – 🏆ANTHONY BARELA & ANNIKEN STEEN

We’re finally out of the heavy stretch now. The Texas Swing is always big, but with the women’s Major it felt bigger.

Pros get to breathe a sigh of relief for the upcoming off-week and the Great American Eclipse. In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or may have missed:

1 – Houston, we (used to) have a problem.

For decades, Brock Park was a municipal ball golf course about 45 minutes from main city areas. Then rumor has it the public property got shut down due to patrons getting mugged.

A year ago, it was turned into an adventure park with a beautiful disc golf course. Now, it’s an oasis for the Tour even if the surrounding area still gave some bad vibes.

The municipality has seen a positive impact when the Tour rolls in. So it wouldn’t be surprising if this once-traveling championship finds its permanent home at Brock Park.

2 – Brock was a walk-in-the-park birdie or die.

Sharing the same 350-acre property, the MPO & FPO courses were very different but played similarly. It was a good old-fashioned shootout.

FPO’s Diamond course was downright easy. Designed so the average player could score, it highlighted all of FPO’s skillsets instead of just the top 5’s.

“So easy this course compared with last week.” – Ohn Scoggins
“So far my favorite course that we’ve played on Tour.” – Paul Ulibarri

And while MPO’s Premier course was shredded, it gave a more balanced risk vs reward feel. Great, technical shots were demanded as well as putts in the Texas winds.

During such a long season, there’s a place for scorable park hybrids with drama-filled endings. It’d get stale every week, but especially after Scramble Sprinkle Valley, it’s welcome.

3 – A weekend of firsts as the 5th unique winner was crowned.

Just because everyone could score on every hole, doesn’t mean they will across all 54. But the 26-year-old lefty – Anniken Kristiansen Steen – did it while poised and collected.

Steen’s no stranger to winning, but it’s never been with a deep field, cameras on her, or in the States. Something got into her as she shot 64 points above her 942 rating becoming the 1st Norwegian winner.

So who is Steen?

• Former figure skater, teacher, & Olympic torch bearer
• Signed a 5-year contract with PCS in 2023
• 3x Norwegian Champion
• 3x PCS Open Champion
• 4x Euro Tour Champion

While the course played to her lefty BH and matched her distance well, Steen still closed it out with her 3rd 1000-rated round ever in the faces of Tattar and Scoggins.

She’s heading home for a month-long break but will be back for the West Coast Swing in May.

4 – 🆎’s the complete player now.

In Saturday’s calm conditions, Anthony Barela put on a show. It had me staring at the screen, willing him to make the last putt, and knowing it meant greatness.

His abilities to throw downtempo, make important putts, and string together great shots complete his game. How could you not think he’s #1 in the world?

Well, because Gannon Buhr’s right there. On Sunday, he was on his way to make the best comeback ever.

He followed up the best round of the year with arguably a better round including a spit-out and 2 near aces. Buhr shot 1102, averaged 1074, and still lost.

In the end, AB wasn’t going to be the only guy to blow a 6+ stroke lead in Tour history. It took him years to get his 1st win but only took 5 weeks for his 2nd.

Until Buhr wins the next event, it’s the year of AB. He’s proven now and has just as many Elite wins as Calvin Heimburg got all last year.

5 – The field’s storylines.

6th/ Gavin Rathbun continues to wow without a main sponsor on his back. But thanks to his string of good finishes, he’s getting a tour series Warlock from Gateway.

17th/ Ricky Wysocki’s win streak at TX States ended, and his record at this event dropped to 6-1.

120th/ Jacob “Cupcake” Courtis battled out of DFL. Per Joey Temali’s IG, the backstory is he had a 9:50 tee time, set 6 alarms that never went off, woke up at 10, raced to the course missing 6 holes, AND still made $500 from AB for caddie duties.

8th/ Emily Weatherman is an 18-year-old from west TX. She’s been rising the ranks, plans to play Q-Series for a 2025 Tour Card, and wants to do this full-time.

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RESULTS – 🏆MISSY GANNON

The 1st Major is in the books and so is the Tour’s 2-week stint in Austin, TX. With all its offerings, this frisbee hub is slowly turning into an iconic Tour stop.

In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or may have missed:

1 – “Baby Maple Hill in the making” – Brian Earhart

This venue is a disc golfer’s dream. Besides the championship course, it has the Austin Beerworks Brewery, restaurant, pro shop, putting course, kids play area, and plenty of parking.

It’s a complete package, and similarities were drawn between it and Maple Hill. As for the Scramble Sprinkle Valley course, it’s considered the hardest in the area.

It’s one of those tracks where if you’re dialed, then every hole can be birdied. But if you’re lacking confidence, then bogeys come easy and often.

On paper, that sounds like the perfect modern-day FPO course. But when paired with high stakes, winds, and backups, the 4+ hour rounds got to the competitors.

“It’s a tough event to watch. It’s emotional. It’s stressful. A lot of the girls out there were in tears. I saw more tears than I’ve ever seen.” – Bradley Williams (caddied for Lykke Lorentzen)

But it wouldn’t have the capital M if the most deserving didn’t persevere to win. Mint Discs and Austin Beerworks deserve Major props for their hard work to get this property ready in less than half a year.

The potential will come through as the Texas-sized mulch becomes green grass. And with time, Sprinkle Valley deserves to become a regular Tour stop.

2 – Big Money Missy → Major Money Missy

While it feels like she’s been here before, this was actually Missy Gannon’s 1st Major win. Since 2021, she’s found success at big 4-round events: Throw Pink, 2x Ledgestone, & 2x DGPT Champ.

When it comes down to it, Gannon knows how to win when the stakes and money are at their highest. And this time around, it took a 1004 event rating to bring home the $12k.

As for 2nd place, the opportunities were there for Eveliina Salonen to grab her 2nd Major (1st at 2018 Konopiště). But her confidence was gone with the wind, and we didn’t get the battle we were expecting.

“I’m just so disappointed in how I played today. I tried to fight, but it wasn’t enough. And I don’t know how I played so bad today.” – Salonen (post-final round)

After 4 challenging days, Salonen wasn’t the only competitor feeling the mental fatigue. Ali Smith was frustrated with her own short-range lapses.

3 – Who outlasted or fell behind during this marathon stretch?

With only 3 days between events, players had to either push through or succumb to this stretch of high competition. Those who succeeded:

3rd/ Valerie Mandujano found her best finish since her Idlewild win in Aug 2023.

5th/ If you follow Heidi Laine’s socials, then you know she’s been working hard in the off-season. She’ll soon be a lead card mainstay, especially during the Europe Swing.

14th/ This was Sai Ananda’s 1st event of the season. She’s taking a small step back from full-time touring, but expect her to be a contender at every West Coast stop.

And those who underperformed by fans’ standards:

6th/ Kristin Tattar struggled to find her normal flow state. Her inability to dominate the field made fans question what was going on.

Besides battling back/neck pain for the past two events, Tattar revealed that she woke up with swollen ankles and a fever on Sunday. She has 5 more weekends of events before a planned break.

Now that a repeat Grand Slam is out of the question, Tattar should be able to play more freely. But can she perform her best during this exhaustive stretch?

4 – 21 Major winners were crowned across the record field of 346 women.

In FP40, Stephanie Vincent successfully battled against defending back-to-back champ Jen Allen. They played the same course as FPO and her winning score of +13 would’ve put her in 26th.

Vincent’s an Austin local who co-founded the Wildflower Tour last year. This women-only tour is responsible for introducing and culminating hundreds of women to Texas’s scene.

In FP50, Juliana Korver bested Des Reading by 15 strokes to win her 3rd USWDGC and 12th overall PDGA Major title. Last year the results were flipped, and these two will continue to battle for years to come.

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RESULTS – 🏆NIKLAS ANTTILA & OHN SCOGGINS

In the heart of TX, there’s no better pairing than cowboy hats and frisbees. We’re only 3 events into the season, and it’s shaping up to be the best yet.

The 1st Major’s in 48 hours, and there’s no time to catch your breath. In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or may have missed:

1 – They found a way to make a mostly great golf course.

For the Tour, the city of Austin is a perfect location to offer top disc golf. But last year, the obstacle to the match made in heaven was the course.

After an overhaul, Harvey Penick was notably better. For both divisions, the layouts were scorable with stroke swings found on every hole.

This created difficulty, separation, high ratings, and drama around every corner. Unfortunately, the drama was heightened by the poor weather.

Like last season, thunderstorms seem to follow the Tour. And with that unwanted guest, poor tee pad conditions are now a weekly conversation.

Without a standardized surface, players continue to complain and worry about injury. But outside of the things they can’t control, the Tour is doing what they can.

2 – The Tour forgot its green on Sunday.

Another week, another event ended in near darkness. Even with the luck of the Irish, the Tour struck out with thunderstorms, but all this could be changing next year.

During the press conference, Jeff Spring (DGPT CEO) hinted they’re in talks with the PDGA to allow pushed rounds by modifying the rule: “Under no circumstances should players be expected to return on a day following the last day of the regular scheduled rounds.”

This change sounds reasonable, but logistically, it’s a recipe for disaster. Whether it’s this option or more cuts, the weather will continue to be a storyline.

As for a positive change, Des Reading made her debut on live commentary. The 13x Major winner was met with high praise and requests to bring her back.

3 – Welcome to FPO 2024.

When you take a step back, it’s impossible to deny that this current era of FPO is the most competitive. And up even higher is Ohn Scoggins who laid a smackdown on the field.

Not only did she win by the biggest margin since 2021, but she also led in strokes gained tee to green, C2 putting, holes parked, and the highest FPO event rating in PDGA history.

At 42 years old, Scoggins is a fan-favorite inspiration. And now, she has half of the top 8 rated FPO events of all time.

It turns out the recipe for the highest ceiling is flex FH Destroyers and big putts.

4 – “I wanted to win so bad that normal life was difficult.”

The scriptwriters outdid themselves on Sunday.

• Started as a showdown between Discmania’s young stars
• Midday delay shortened MPO to 15 holes
• Kyle Klein attempted a never before 3rd card win
• Lead card pushed darkness
• Niklas Anttila missed a 20-footer with 2 to go, clutched a barely visible 46’ putt on 17, and played 18 perfectly
• His dramatic final putt prevented a glow-round playoff
• History was made for Finland

For 2 years, Anttila made it his one goal to become the 1st MPO Finn to win a DGPT. And with that immense pressure, he went through so many close calls to finally achieve it.

Anttila is him. He’s the Nordic Phenom.

It was one of the most significant days in European disc golf history. And his legendary journey is just starting.

“I’m

away from home like 6 months of the year, every year, and I sacrifice so much for this sport.” – Anttila (JomezPro)

5 – There were too many storylines.

It was a whirlwind weekend that eventually became a sprint. From broken records to sunset shootouts, there was action all over.

Here are some quick hitters:

• Kristin Tattar had a 1000 event rating to continue her consistent march toward 1000 rated
• With 4 months left of her pregnancy, Catrina Allen finished in the Top 10 for the 1st time since the 2023 European Open
• Calvin Heimburg is back and doesn’t need a FH
• Discmania’s three-headed dragon is scary: Anttila (23 years old), Klein (21), & Buhr (18)
• Joey “Buckets” Anderson is no fluke and should’ve been the 2023 Rookie of the Year
• Paul McBeth is showing signs of a return. At 22nd, he finally cashed and flexed some BH distance with a parked eagle on Hole 11

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RESULTS – 🏆GANNON BUHR & KRISTIN TATTAR

Before the event started, many weren’t optimistic about the “upgrades” to historic WACO. But after the final putt, I’d say it lived up to the hype and proved that “Everything’s bigger in TX.”

In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or may have missed:

1 – Yin and yang courses: The BEast & Laco

With the BEast mostly unchanged, all eyes were on Lake Waco. Being immediately judged as a ball golf course, its reviews were mixed and the tee pads drew criticism.

While the drop-offs posed an injury risk (it got Uli), the course showed promise and hopes to improve in design and teeing surface. Regardless, the pair of courses plus TX winds still made for a wacky event.

Contrasting styles of golf thrived on either course, and it showed on the leaderboard. Even without the typical finish, there was still drama at the end but with more spectators surrounding the green.

2 – New season, same delays.

It wouldn’t be a Tour event without a few weather delays. Just days before Daylight Savings, Friday’s storms forced MPO to push play into dusk.

Those on the Lead Card were unlucky and had to wake up early to finish 3 holes on Saturday. But they weren’t the only ones penalized over the event.

Just when you thought everyone was aware of the new 5-minute check-in rule, we got reminded one more time. Back at Chess.com, it was KJ USA who got hit with the heavy 2-stroke penalty.

This time it was Ricky Wysocki who was “30 seconds” late and got called out by a cardmate on Friday. While I doubt we’ll see this again, being late to a job happens to the best of us.

3 – Is Kristin Tattar the most sure thing right now?

“There’s nothing to fix if nothing’s broken… So I just keep doing what I’m doing and see where it gets me.” – Tattar (DGN)

Picking up where she left off, Tattar made a statement to the field as she became the back-to-back champ. Her jetlagged, slow start turned into a decided finish with 18 holes still left.

The signs of a leveled-up field went missing. Scoggins made uncharacteristic mistakes while playing “boring golf.” Ella Hansen suffered from early releases. And Hailey King continued to have an aggravated knee.

But even without them pushing her, there’s still a looming goal. Tattar’s getting close to catching the 1000-rated unicorn, and guess what, today is Ratings Update day.

So did she hit 1000? No, but she’s at 999 again. Based on u/KyleSilva’s calculations, if she averages 1001 for the rest of the TX Swing, then she should hit 1000.

4 – A cut above the rest.

Opposite to FPO, it was a rollercoaster Sunday for the men. The few pushing for the win traded mistakes, lucky breaks, and the lead several times.

While it looked to be a battle between Prodigy’s previous figurehead and current, Anttila challenged them with the hot round from Chase. Between them, it was impossible to pick who to root for.

Anttila’s been so close to his 1st DGPT win. Humphries is a fan-favorite underdog and was hit with the heartbreaking news that his uncle passed pre-round. And Buhr’s an 18-year-old phenom.

But in the end, Buhr’s winning experience came through despite the excessive time warning and brutal spit-out. He’s now won as a Discmaniac, and his stats were ice-cold in all the good ways.

5 – Wacky WACO for fan favorites, missed cash, and DNFs.

No matter the changes to this “Plus” event, it was still WACO. All 3 members of BigSexyBarri gave us flashbacks to their good days. Big names missed cash. And players were dropping like flies with DNFs.

With the MPO cutline at the top 45 and FPO at 24, there were many surprising names not playing on Sunday. Here’s a few…

• MPO: Paul McBeth, Simon Lizotte, Isaac Robinson
• FPO: Jenn Allen, Cat Allen, Sarah Hokom

Before the event started, Calvin Heimburg dropped due to his elbow tendinitis and was the 1st domino to fall. After him, 7 more players DNF’d for various reasons including injury, illness, and recovery.

We’ve got a long season ahead of us. And with this being the 2nd event, broken cash streaks and injury DNFs will only continue.

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TOUR STORYLINES – Chess.com Invitational

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RESULTS – 🏆ANTHONY BARELA & EVELIINA SALONEN

The 1st event is in the books. Whether it was the fan-favorite course, the wholesome winners, or the season finally starting, this weekend got many up in their feels.

How can you not be romantic about disc golf?

In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or may have missed:

1 – “Olympus has the magic.” – Nate Perkins

Minus All-Stars’ 50 hours of straight rain, this location perfectly contrasted the former Vegas opener. Olympus has teeth and character.

At every turn, it was vast, magical, and seemingly fun to play. It still needs some breaking in, but the design is exactly what many have been hoping for.

• 2 division layouts with both wooded and bomber shots that played closer to par (no double-digit rounds)
• Unique terrain: Classic FL low ceilings mixed with demanding landing zones
• No filler holes with a nail-biter finishing stretch

And this is only a glimpse into the future of the Tour. Championship courses designed/owned by pros will continue to trend upward.

Cale Leiviska’s Preserve Championship is in its 4th year, and Nikko Locastro’s developing his own Houston property. There might even be a 3rd McBeth-designed stop coming soon at Dylan Cease’s other private course – Cactus Rock.

2 – It’s a bug, not a feature.

DGN 2.0 and PDGA Live’s bumpy rollout continued with some highs and lows.

• The MPO commentary trio (Ian, Philo, & Climo) had zero dead air but was well-received
• The video quality was mostly great, PiP on the app worked, and the chess GOAT got some air time
• The premium ad-free version of the broadcast wasn’t actually ad-free
• The PDGA Live scorekeeping and stats were still “rudimentary”. Pros and fans alike missed UDisc’s extra features

Adding fuel to the flames, the entire PDGA app went down for just over an hour on Saturday. Not only were the event’s scores not updating, but every ongoing tournament was down.

Overall, the broadcast and live scores were just fine. Including the Pro Tour, we’re all adjusting to the changes, so fingers crossed these issues continue to be bugs, not features.

3 – Is this FPO’s new normal?

With Kristin Tattar busy at Estonia’s Presidential Reception, it felt like anyone’s game. The storyline revolved around the homies’ battle (Hansen & Handley), but Salonen’s masterful throws and a buttoned-up putter changed things.

Surprising herself, she unlocked a new ceiling and walked it in on Hole 18. Salonen’s unofficial event rating of 1012 becomes the 3rd highest in DGPT FPO history only behind Paige Pierce.

But even as she blew past the field, her closest competitors topped out too…

It feels like we’re set up for even more unique winners than last year. The homies, the Finnish Friends, Big Money Missy, and others might give Tattar a run for her money.

4 – Getting the gorilla off his back.

It was “monkey off your back” weekend on the DGPT, and just hours after Salonen broke her 4-year drought, it was AB’s turn. But before he could hoist the chess board, he had to battle his fellow Arizonan bud – Wysocki.

And boy, did they give us a show. Ballooning his lead to 6 strokes at one point, AB’s confidence was at an all-time high. But Wysocki doesn’t settle for 2nd.

The gap closed, and European Open flashbacks were referenced. But through off-season mental and putting prep, AB’s a different man now.

He clutched up to win his 1st career Major/Elite. He’s a champion now, and the field should be scared cause he’s got the full package.

“It’s just unbelievable. I’ve been waiting my whole life for this, and all the losses are worth it now. This feeling’s amazing.” – Barela (DGPT)

5 – Expectations were tempered.

It’s way too early to draw any real conclusions, but let’s see who beat or lowered expectations.

Those who impressed:

• Gannon Buhr – It was hard to tell he was bagging new discs
• Gavin Rathbun – After becoming sponsor-less, he made the last-minute decision to compete. It paid off with a T6th finish and a couple of grand
• Paige Pierce – Coming in with zero expectations, she finished top 10 in a promising start

Those who didn’t knock all the rust off:

• Paul McBeth – Let’s be real, it wasn’t realistic thinking he could continue his winning ways here. But having to scroll down to 52nd place doesn’t instill lots of confidence in his recovery
• Calvin Heimburg – 2023’s “Final Boss” is dealing with a tweaked elbow that likely led him to miss the top 5 since June

Even as the cream at the top is slowly changing, there’s plenty of time for pros to get up to speed. There’s a long season ahead.

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