🌪️ An atypical event in Tornado Alley

Hello and welcome, this is The Players Meeting. The only newsletter still recovering from multiple Father’s Day rounds.

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If you missed DDO’s preview, then I got you: Pierce at Bonnaroo

Let’s get into it.

TOUR COVERAGE
Dynamic Discs Open

RESULTS - 🏆PARKER WELCK & HAILEY KING

While I’m sure your Father’s Day was filled with family and good vibes, it was nowhere as good as the two dads who saw their kids raising trophies. In no particular order, here are the storylines you should remember or you may have missed:

1 - Tornado Alley didn’t live up to its name.

When the Tour rolls into Emporia, KS, most of us expect these 3 words… Flatter, hotter, and windier. While Dynamic Discs’ hometown gave us the 1st two, the wind was not a factor.

With uncharacteristic 0 mph conditions, the Emporia Country Club played soft. Pros hit the fairway without fear, and scoring separation paid for it.

Despite the drama-filled leaderboards, many aired grievances against the course, baskets, and spectator numbers. Redesigned holes were mostly well received, but tweeners were still a sore spot like Hole 13 where 67% (FPO) carded bogeys or worse.

As for baskets, it was the DD Veteran’s turn to get the heat and revitalize the argument for standardized baskets. We saw normal spit-outs and even chain mishaps front and center.

But what we didn’t see were the big, loud crowds from years past. On social media, several were eager to point this out and blamed factors like no AM event, higher ticket costs, and Emporia being in the middle of nowhere.

2 - FPO’s exciting finish rivaled MPO’s chase card victories.

With the lower-scoring separation, it was the women’s turn to give us a nailbiter. Going into Sunday, there wasn’t a name you’d be comfortable betting the house on.

The Tour’s 3 biggest arms sat tied with only 2 strokes on a Chase Card Tattar. But as the round developed, it was clear she wasn’t taking this away from King, Handley, or Hansen.

Each of them had something to prove. While King had just come off a break and hadn’t won this season, the two BBFs were looking for their 1st Tour win.

And as typical for this property, it came down to Hole 16. No matter how good you play, if you can’t hit “Heartbreak Island” then you can’t win.

Even though she was unaware of the scores, King’s 2 park jobs on the island were the difference maker to becoming a 2x DDO champ. These painful losses for Handley & Hansen will soon be forgotten when they win.

3 - Welcome to the big leagues, Parker Welck.

Have we finally passed the dynasty era? In recent months, there are many who are capable of winning, but none are capable of dominating.

Sure, we have the mechanical Heimburg winning 3 events and podiuming most of the time, but as the current #1 in the world, you’d expected nothing less.

This weekend, we had a Huntington Beach resident (not named McBeth) take down the win. In his 1st season on Tour, Parker Welck has already grinded 24 tournaments and it’s paid off.

So who is he? Here are some facts about the unknown underdog:

• 25 years old

• Originally from Hawaii, his whole family (parents and brother) have played since 2009

• Went from 112 to 39 in the UDisc World Rankings

• At 1010 rated, he was the lowest-rated MPO competitor to make a lead card at an Elite event this year

• Previously averaged 51st at Elite events

• Per Matty O, he has a “really freaking good” FH

• And now holds a grudge against UDisc…

4 - Back from a break and not forgotten.

The number of storylines from the weekend was head-spinning. Let’s quickly tie up some loose ends…

• Valerie Mandujano - Back from tearing 2 ankle ligaments, she finished in a 6-way tie for 2nd to last cash. Unsurprisingly, she’s still easing into her new Discraft bag and recovery.

• Wysocki - Now 6 events into his season, he managed a top 10 at his home away from home. For now, his flare-up injury is far behind him.

• Matty O - Even after 2 months away from Tour, he’s still a consistent force at the top but never in the winner’s circle.

• Heimburg - Still the man to beat, he showed no signs of the minor back injury that forced him to pull out of Zoo Town Open.

HIGHLIGHT

Besides Katelyn Belty’s routine Hole 16 ace, Welck’s dark horse performance earned him several new nicknames. Not sure if they’ll stick, but he can now be referred to as “Park Job” Parker or “Parkour” Welck.

POWERED BY POWERGRIP USA
Fresh Plastic

👉 Powergrip’s Highlight: Ledgestone Wave 3
It’s not a secret how Ledgestone is one of the biggest, baddest events every year.

With Discraft, they raise funds for big payouts and charitable donations (>$500k) through limited edition runs. The OTB Open & MVP have even followed suit with their own special drops.

This week, we’re highlighting 3 must-haves from Wave 3. While everyone and their mom is a vendor, here at TPM, we give you more insights with the help of Powergrip USA.

1. Z Fly Dye Force (12|5|0|3) - This run airs on the side of more pop-top compared to other Z Forces, but the extra glide and stability are heavily sought after by those with the power to harness it.

2. Z ColorShift Zone (4|3|0|3) - Unlike some Tour Series runs, this run is board flat without puddle tops.

3. UV Blend Z Focus (2|2|-1|2) - When exposed to the sun, this plastic goes from milky white to purple. In the hand, it feels like standard Z, but there should be some increase in stability.

FH TIPS & BREAKDOWNS
Random Dubs

1️⃣ During my weekly watch of JomezPro’s Practice Round, I had to quickly pause and rewind to catch Uli giving away free advice. With his online course in full swing, these golden nuggets are hard to come by.

Noticing Hammes having issues with his FH accuracy, Uli told him to tuck his elbow more and start the throw from his hand. Because he was starting the throw with his elbow, Hammes had no trouble with power but lacked spin.

So if your FHs come out like a wobbly dead duck, then you’re not generating enough spin. Listen to Uli and remember to think, “The stroke starts with your fingers.”

2️⃣ Besides his normal hot takes, Drew Gibson shared a peculiar form breakdown on Twitter.

It was the 1st he had ever seen such similar forms between divisions. Whether they have “perfect” form or not, it wouldn’t hurt to pick these players to copy.

Tweet of the Week

Thanks for reading today. Get out and be disc golf famous this week!

- Charlie