Today was Day 1 at the 2013 United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship presented by Discraft, and you could cut the tension with a knife. A very difficult task was in front of the 143 player field. For some, it would be their first time competing in an event of this size, while for others, it is the last step before setting off on their professional disc golf campaign. The Toboggan course, located in beautiful Kensington Metropark in Milford, MI is truly one of the game’s most difficult courses. Kensington Park is huge, nearly 5000 acres, and the holes at the Toboggan are just as big. The course has a total length of just less than 9000 feet, and there is plenty of elevation change.
At the 2013 Tim Selinske United States Masters Championships in Burlington, NC, the stage was set for an exciting finish on Sunday. Nearly every division was tight going into the final round, which would make for some late afternoon drama. The forecast called for thunderstorms all day, and the rain began to fall in the early morning hours. The weather would then take a turn for the better, and prove to be a non-factor as the play started to heat up. The pros would be challenged by the Rock Creek course, as the Amateur divisions would battle Wellspring and Cedarock, the two permanent courses at the
The 2013 PDGA Major schedule continues on this weekend in Burlington, NC. Cedarock Park will play host to the world’s best Master’s aged players at the 2013 Tim Selinske United States Masters Championships. The tournament venue, located in the former capital of all coat factories, currently boasts two permanent championship caliber courses and has had a third temporary course exclusively installed for tournament play.
While the host Danish flag is red and white, it’s the red, white and blue of Team USA that dominates the leader boards after 36 holes at the Latitude 64 Copenhagen Open – the Major.
For the first time since 2007, the USDGC has a repeat champion. Will Schusterick of Nashville, TN, can boast Championship crowns from 2010 and now 2012 after outlasting Ricky Wysocki by two strokes on Saturday.
This time Schusterick had several members of his family in attendance including his mother, sisters and grandparents. “There’s no better feeling in the world than to have family there as I succeed,” said Schusterick.
Tied with Monday Qualifier Josh Anthon at the start of the day, the round ended up becoming a battle between Schusterick and Wysocki, who tied Schusterick for Saturday’s round with a 55 (-13).
Josh Anthon of California is holding strong at -35 for the Championship, but now he’s tied with 2010 US Champion Will Schusterick, who surged during Friday’s third round with a course record tying 53 (-15).
Schusterick wasn’t the only player to humble Winthrop Gold on Friday. Jumping into the United States Disc Golf Championship conversation with a blistering 53 were Steve Brinster of New York and Finn Jussi Meresmaa, who had a share of the lead after Round 1.
After Anthon and Schusterick are Ricky Wysocki of South Carolina (-33), Brinster and Meresmaa at (-31), and three others are tied at (-28).
Fireworks were launched from the Pro Flight lead card during Thursday’s Round 2 of the USDGC, when Ricky Wysocki and Josh Anthon shot a lights-out 55 (-13). The pair now find themselves tied atop the leader board at (-24).
Wysocki was in route to tying Anthon’s 2009 course record of 53 (-15), however, he threw OB twice and made bogey on Hole 18. “He was throwing like a genius. He should have shot a 52,” said 2009 US Champion Nikko Locastro, who was also on the lead card and is only two back after Thursday.
Feeling even more like an all-star event, the USDGC Open Flight’s Round 1 – full of big-name groupings – did not disappoint with many players going low, real low. The lowest were 2009 US Champ Nikko Locastro and Finland power house Jussi Meresmaa at 56 (-12).
Others with good showings included Monday qualifier Josh Anthon and Brent Hambrick Memorial champ Ricky Wysocki at (-11). 3-time US Champion Barry Schultz, 2005 US Champion Dave Feldberg, and Matt Orum all finished at (-10).
Locastro wants to add 2-time US Champion before his name and if he keeps up his pace, he just might.
Grandmaster Dean Pfeifer says he only looks old. When it comes to turning in low scores, he plays as young as anyone on the course.
The 56-year-old Philadelphia, MS resident is now headed to his fifth USDGC after winning grandmasters (-8) and later taking one of the last two USDGC spots during a three-way tie-breaker at the Southern National Pro Championships.
After escaping remnants of Hurricane Isaac most of the weekend, the players in the Tim Selinske U.S. Masters Disc Golf Championship had to play out their last few holes in the rain. Condsidering that the forecast called for downpours all weekend, everyone was extremely pleased to only have to endure an hour or so of drizzle.
The Beaver State Fling has been Tim Skellenger's ticket to the USDGC in the past, and this year he qualified in style by nearly winning it.
Others making the grade at the NT event (June 15th-17th) in Estacada, OR, were: Paul Oman of Evansville, IN, Don Smith of Santa Cruz, CA, Sean Phillips of Deer Island, OR, and Kevin Rarick of Nashville, TN.
Will Schusterick and Paige Pierce managed their leads and the Järva Park’s Major Course today to secure their second PDGA Tour Major event titles at the Stockholm Open. For their performances Will took home a sweet 28,000 Kronor (US$4050) while Paige won $1300, from the event’s cool total purse of 242,000 kronor / $35,000.
Led by Will Schusterick, the American Tour-ists moved up the leader board today in Sweden at the Stockholm Discgolf Open presented by Latitude 64. Playing in pristine conditions, Will shot a tournament best 1084 rated round of 11 under 52, which included an Eagle 3 on the 290 meter / 951’ long opening hole, 10 birdies and a lone “bogey” 3 on the short par 2 #4.
A trans-Atlantic battle royale is taking shape at the halfway point of the Stockholm Discgolf Open presented by Latitude 64. USA’s Cale Leiviska shot the low round today in windier conditions, a 6 down 57 and he will have the box when the lead group tees off tomorrow afternoon.
Day 1 at the PDGA EuroMajor - Stockholm Discgolf Open presented by Latitude 64 - and the Järva Discgolf Park dawned brightly. But while some players would take advantage of the auspicious conditions, others were brought down to earth as their discs failed to negotiate the OB lines, the unpredictable breezes, and the gaps between the groves of Scandinavian birch trees.
This year’s PDGA Europe Major event is the Stockholm Open in Sweden, hosted by long time TDs Jonas and Mats Löf, and presented by Latitude 64º Golf Discs, at the beautiful Järva Discgolf Park. All told this is the 34th edition of the Stockholm Open and the 17th time it has been held at Järva since the course was installed in 1995.
One round in the books and we have a tight race after the first round here at the 2012 United States Amateur DGC. The four highest-rated players had the earliest tee time and looked to set the bar for the rest of the day. Mark Huether was the man to put up the first low score. Only one player finished with a better score. Mike Sale from Downers Grove, Illinois shot a five under, 57, to finish with a one stroke lead. Along with Mark, Alex Geisinger turned in a 58. Five players carded 59’s and are tied for third place.
Once a year, the best amateurs in disc golf travel to Milford, Michigan, a small city just north of Detroit. As the players prepare for the trip and begin travel, the hosts spend countless hours in the weeks leading up to the tournament re-installing one of our country's best courses. The Toboggan course at Kensington Metro park is truly a gem and the only players who get the pleasure and, sometimes, pain of playing are those that earn their way in through qualifier tournaments throughout the year.
Kicking off with The Memorial Championship in Arizona, the 2012 PDGA National Tour Elite Series presented by Vibram Disc Golf looks to raise the bar for our marquis events.
Appling, Georgia--The Professional Disc Golf Association, along with presenting sponsor Vibram Disc Golf, is pleased to announce its 2012 PDGA National Tour Elite Series schedule and the Drive for the Championship. Celebrating its tenth season, the PDGA National Tour looks to present the players, PDGA members, and the rest of the country with the highest caliber events our sport has to offer. The 2012 schedule features six events starting with The Memorial Championship at the end of February and culminates in mid-August at the Vibram Open.
It was a star spangled final day at the European Open in Nokia Finland, with the Americans “finn-ishing” 1-2-3 in the Open and Women’s Divisions.
Entering Round 4, three time Women’s World and defending Euro Open Champ Val Jenkins had a comfortable 13 throw lead. She would extend her margin of victory to 17 by shooting a steady +5 69 on Sunday. The rest of the Pro Ladies lead card would “finn-ish” as they started with 2010 Rookie of the Year Paige Pierce in 2nd, fellow Tour-ist Melody King in 3rd, and local favorite Anne Matilainen in 4th.
Saturday is known as moving day in golf and while no one made a bigger move at the European Open in Finland today than Sweden’s Jesper Lundmark, whose bogey free 10 down 54 was the low score in Round 3, there was no doubt that the day belonged to the Tour-ists from USA. With Team Europe members KJ Nybo, Simon Lizotte, and Ville Piippo sliding backwards the leader boards at this year’s Euro Major event are now painted in red, white and blue.
After yesterday’s rain, Friday was a hot and sunny mid summer’s day at the European Open in Finland. With temps in the mid 80s plus humidity the conditions appeared to favor the Americans more than the Scandinavians, who only experience such heat a few days of the year.
